John Matthews talks with Anne Strainchamps about the sacred pre-Christian origins of many of our secular Christmas traditions.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Lorrie Moore has a new collection of short stories. She tells Steve Paulson that life is filled with absurdity; ghost stories are great fodder for fiction; and North America now owns the short story.
Jay Parini talks with Jim Fleming about the power of poetry and how it especially empowers young people in troubled times.
Richard Price has a hit with his novel "Lush Life." It's a crime story, but Price says his book has nothing to do with detective fiction or any other genre.
Jessica Queller tells Anne Strainchamps why she decided to have a double mastectomy after she tested positive for the breast cancer gene and her mother died of ovarian cancer.
Laura Hillenbrand tells Ann Strainchamps how the story of this ugly animal with a ferocious will to win reflects the history of the United States as it left the frontier behind.
Japanese comics, manga, and animation, anime, are among Japan's most popular cultural exports. Fred Schodt is the guy to talk to about Japan's contemporary graphic arts explosion. He talks about the "God of Manga," Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Astro Boy.
Classicist Mary Lefkowitz talks with Steve Paulson about Mars, the Roman God of War. The Greeks called him Ares, and he had a tough time for a god.
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