Episodes

  • Paul McCartney on his band 'Wings,' plus the story of indie label Bloodshot Records

    Paul McCartney on his band 'Wings,' plus the story of indie label Bloodshot Records
    Dec 19 2025
    Two new memoirs zoom in on important moments in music history. First, Paul McCartney’s new book Wings reflects on the life of his post-Beatles band, which he formed in London in 1971. In today’s episode, McCartney speaks with NPR’s A Martínez about establishing a distinct identity in The Beatles’ shadow. Then, Rob Miller founded Bloodshot Records in the 1990s when a new sound – “insurgent country” or “alt-country” – was just emerging. Miller joined NPR’s Scott Simon for a conversation about his memoir The Hours Are Long, But the Pay Is Low, which tells the story behind the label.


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    17 mins
  • In this novel, the residents of a Brussels apartment building brace for Nazi invasion

    In this novel, the residents of a Brussels apartment building brace for Nazi invasion
    Dec 18 2025
    33 Place Brugmann opens with a list of the residents of a Brussels apartment building. The year is 1939 and Germany’s invasion of Belgium is on the horizon. Alice Austen’s debut novel winds together the fates of these residents under Nazi occupation. In today’s episode, Austen joins NPR’s Scott Simon for a conversation that touches on the backstory of the building’s address, how she balanced the novel’s many narrative voices, and the questions that consumed her as she wrote the book.


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    9 mins
  • William Boyd’s 'The Predicament' is a spy thriller with a conspiratorial edge

    William Boyd’s 'The Predicament' is a spy thriller with a conspiratorial edge
    Dec 17 2025
    In William Boyd’s newest novel The Predicament, lead character and travel writer Gabriel Dax becomes a secret spy, scouring the globe on British orders during the Cold War. He’s looking for an escape from espionage, but when he starts to receive envelopes of cash from the KGB, can he resist? In today’s episode, author William Boyd talks with NPR’s Scott Simon about the second book in the Gabriel Dax trilogy, and how his own conspiracies about President Kennedy’s assassination influenced his novel-writing process.

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    9 mins
  • Rep. Jim Clyburn’s new book 'The First Eight' traces the history of his predecessors

    Rep. Jim Clyburn’s new book 'The First Eight' traces the history of his predecessors
    Dec 16 2025
    Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn has spent more than three decades in Congress. But he’s not the first Black congressman to represent South Carolina; there were eight others before him. His new book, The First Eight, dives into the political careers of figures like Robert Smalls and George Washington Murray. In today’s episode, Clyburn speaks with NPR’s Michel Martin about one major takeaway from the project – and his thoughts on reelection .


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    8 mins
  • 'The Heir Apparent' asks existential questions about Britain and its beloved crown

    'The Heir Apparent' asks existential questions about Britain and its beloved crown
    Dec 15 2025
    Becoming the queen of England wasn’t in the plan for Lexi Villiers, the heroine of The Heir Apparent. But when tragedy strikes Lexi’s family and she discovers that she’s next in line for the throne, she finds herself forced to choose between her own modernity and the crown’s antiquity. Is the best option to just leave the monarchy entirely? In today’s episode, author and journalist Rebecca Armitage talks with NPR’s Miles Parks about her debut novel, and the process of turning her real reporting on the British crown into a fictionalized narrative.

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    8 mins
  • Revisiting ‘Kitchen Confidential’

    Revisiting ‘Kitchen Confidential’
    Dec 13 2025
    Anthony Bourdain published his memoir Kitchen Confidential in 2000 as a little-known chef. In the 25 years since its publication, his writing – and subsequent work in TV and entertainment – has shaped the way we talk about restaurants and food. In today’s Books We’ve Loved, Andrew Limbong and B.A. Parker are joined by Eric Deggans, critic-at-large at NPR. They discuss Bourdain’s documentation of a particular time in the restaurant industry, the book’s impact on dining culture, and Bourdain’s personal legacy. Then, special guest Samin Nosrat shares her perspective on what’s changed in the culinary world in the years since.


    Eric’s Recommendation: ‘Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets’ by David Simon

    Parker’s Recommendation: ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ by C Pam Zhang

    Andrew’s Recommendation: ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’ by Lizzy Goodman


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    37 mins
  • ‘How a Game Lives,’ ‘How to Save the Internet’ show the best and worst of life online

    ‘How a Game Lives,’ ‘How to Save the Internet’ show the best and worst of life online
    Dec 12 2025
    Two new books delve into the best and worst corners of the internet. First, Jacob Geller creates YouTube essays about art, literature, film, video games and more. He’s compiled those essays in print form in a new book called How a Game Lives. In today’s episode, Geller speaks with Here & Now’s Scott Tong about how video games help him explore life’s big questions. Then, Nick Clegg was president of global affairs at Meta, a position he left earlier this year. In today’s episode, Clegg talks with NPR’s Steve Inskeep about his new book How to Save the Internet.


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    19 mins
  • A new book of poems by Kate Baer wrestles with the realities of middle age

    A new book of poems by Kate Baer wrestles with the realities of middle age
    Dec 11 2025
    NPR’s Scott Detrow and poet Kate Baer share a favorite bookstore in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They recently met there to discuss Baer’s new poetry collection How About Now, which wrestles with the realities of middle age. In today’s episode, Baer tells Detrow about navigating honesty and privacy in her work, what it’s like to share shelf space with poets like Ada Limón and Sharon Olds, and writing moments that made her hear “the angels sing.”


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    9 mins