James McBride won the National Book Award for "The Good Lord Bird," his novel about the abolitionist John Brown. He explains why he doesn't like most fictional portraits of slavery and how he tried to tell a different story.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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Jennifer Weiner is one of the star authors of chick lit and she’s made her peace with having a less-than-Ivy-League literary reputation, despite her Princeton education.
Neil Steinberg booked passage to Italy for both him and his father on his father’s old ship. He hoped it would bring them closer together. As he tells Anne Strainchamps, it didn’t.
Kelly Lambert tells Anne Strainchamps about her brain research into how using both hands on crafts projects can be as beneficial to the body as taking psychoactive medication.
Patricia Smith is an African American who's the four-time champion of the National Poetry Slam.
Jimi FlorCruz tells Steve Paulson that political events in the Philippines made it impossible for him to return from what was supposed to be a three week visit to China.
The French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, was presented with a Freedom on Expression award from the PEN American Center this week. Six high-profile writers boycotted the awards ceremony at PEN's big annual gala. Hundreds more protested, while others gave the magazine's editors a standing ovation. The chariman of the PEN World Voices Festival is Colm Toibin, the celebrated Irish novelist. Toibin shares his thoughs on the controversy.
According to John Leland, the hipster is an outsider who crosses boundaries and challenges the mainstream. He also talks about the overlap between being hip and using drugs.
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