While researching a previous book, a mushroom trip in Michael Pollan?s garden left him curious about the boundaries of consciousness. His latest project A World Appears explores the mystery of human consciousness through scientific, philosophical and psychedelic frameworks. In today?s episode, Pollan talks with Here & Now?s Indira Lakshmanan about the sentience of plants and animals vs. our own. They also discuss ?lantern? vs. ?spotlight? consciousness, AI and why Pollan sees the computer as a faulty metaphor for the human brain.

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Lillian Li says Bad Asians was drawn from her upbringing in a hypercompetitive Chinese-American community. In the novel, four 20-somethings, who grew up in a similar environment, confront the challenges of the 2008 financial crisis and begin to let loose. Their former classmate documents their frustrations in what becomes one of the first viral YouTube videos. In today?s episode, Li speaks with Here & Now?s Scott Tong about the initial privacy of the early internet, exploding Asian American stereotypes, and why she wanted to write about friendship.

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As California?s governor ? and a topic of discussion among some as a possible 2028 presidential candidate ? Gavin Newsom is an exceedingly public figure with a busy schedule to match. His new memoir, Young Man in a Hurry, provides a glimpse into Newsom?s rise to political prominence and his ongoing goal of self-discovery. In today?s episode, Newsom sits down with NPR?s Ailsa Chang to discuss his book, the question of his own relatability, and why he uses ?playground insults?? on social media to push back against the Trump administration.

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In today?s episode, two authors tackle everyday experience through short-form writing. First, The Irish Goodbye is a collection of micro-memoirs by the poet Beth Ann Fennelly. In these recollections, she considers childhood, marriage, and old friends ? and she told NPR?s Scott Simon about the immense difficulty she had writing about her sister?s death. Then, Anne Fadiman joins Simon to discuss Frog: and Other Essays, in which she takes on topics like a printer, an unpettable pet, M&Ms, and the rules of grammar.


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Tayari Jones, author of the 2018 novel An American Marriage, says her next book was supposed to be about gentrification in the American South. But while writing her draft, Jones says she realized the backstory of that project was actually the real story. That?s how her new historical fiction novel Kin was born. The book follows two cradle friends who grow up without mothers in Honeysuckle, Louisiana and must navigate life in the Jim Crow South. In today?s episode, Jones tells NPR?s Ayesha Rascoe about how she tapped into something ?older than herself? in order to write this story.


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Author Andrew Krivak grew up hearing stories about his grandfather, who died in a coal mine collapse in the early 1900s. These stories inspired Mule Boy, a novel about a 13-year-old who survives a deadly accident at a Pennsylvania mine. The story takes place during a 24-hour period in which the boy, now an old man, reflects on what took place there. In today?s episode, Krivak joins NPR?s Scott Simon for a conversation about being the grandson of Slovak immigrants, the trio brought together in Mule Boy, and the way Krivak tried to mimic oral storytelling in the novel.


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Journalist Jason Zengerle spent years observing right-wing media personality Tucker Carlson. His new book Hated by All the Right People asks: Does Carlson believe what he says? Zengerle?s reporting maps changes in the former Fox host?s views, such as the shift in how he spoke to his audience about the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the 2020 election. In today?s episode, Zengerle talks with NPR?s Steve Inskeep about what Carlson was like as a young journalist, the controversial Nick Fuentes interview, and why Zengerle views Carlson more as a "movement leader? than a media persona.


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Keeper of Lost Children is the latest work of historical fiction by Sadeqa Johnson. The novel is told from three vantage points and follows the story of mixed-race children orphaned in Germany after WWII. At the heart of the novel is Ethel Gathers, a character based on a real-life woman named Mabel Grammer. In today?s episode, Johnson tells NPR?s Emily Kwong about the Google search that inspired her novel and how she views the responsibility of writing historical fiction.


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New books by a psychoanalyst and a priest have something in common: They draw on the experience of holding other people?s stories. Stephen Grosz says his book, Love?s Labor, is a collection of ?hard-won truths? he?s arrived at through sessions with his patients. In today?s episode, he speaks with NPR?s Ayesha Rascoe about his observations on love, work and relationships. Then, Father James Martin joins NPR?s Scott Detrow for a conversation about Work in Progress. They discuss the litany of odd jobs Martin held before becoming a priest ? and what ultimately led him to the church.


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Reshona Landfair met R. Kelly when she was a pre-teen in 1996. Starstruck, Landfair says she fell victim to his grooming tactics, followed by years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse.  A video of Kelly abusing Landfair eventually became public ? and helped lead to Kelly?s conviction. Now, Landfair tells her story for the first time in her memoir Who?s Watching Shorty? In today?s episode, she tells NPR?s Juana Summers about being ?kept? by Kelly, the way the public treats young Black women who survive abuse, and what she wants the world to know about her today.


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There are many ways that a home renovation project can become a nightmare for all involved. But in The Renovation, narrator Dilara?s remodeling woes aren?t strictly financial or aesthetic?they?re absurdly surreal. When she finds her bathroom transformed into an armed Turkish prison cell, Dilara and her family must reckon with fragments of their past, present and future, all while fighting against the pace of time itself. In today?s episode, author Kenan Orhan joins NPR?s Scott Simon to discuss his debut novel, and how the concept of ?prison? is a metaphor in far more ways than one.

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Jung Chang?s memoir Wild Swans, published in 1991, told the story of three generations of women in her family as they survived upheaval in 20th-century China. Now, Chang picks up her family?s story in Fly, Wild Swans, which she was moved to write as her mother?s health failed. In today?s episode, Chang talks with Here & Now?s Scott Tong about her inability to return to China, the biography of Mao she co-authored with her husband, and the Xi era.


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The new novel Clutch follows five women who have known each other since college as they navigate the challenges of midlife. Author Emily Nemens recently told NPR?s Juana Summers that she wanted to tell this story through the group chat, which Nemens calls ?the vernacular of now.? In today?s episode, they also discuss negligence in relationships, the novel?s head-on approach to abortion rights, and how writing Clutch impacted Nemens? own friendships.


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In preparation for the U.S. Semiquincentennial this summer, we?re featuring two key texts in American history. First, Professor Nora Slonimsky joins NPR?s Sarah McCammon to discuss the legacy and reach of Thomas Paine?s Common Sense ? including how we might see Paine as an influencer-like figure. Then, Jill Lepore?s We the People is a new history of the U.S. Constitution. In today?s episode, she speaks with NPR?s Steve Inskeep about historical attempts to reinterpret our law long after the Constitution was first drafted.

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Adi is a man grieving the death of his young son and the end of his marriage. Following these losses, he comes across a strange job listing, which brings him to a remote island populated by non-native goats. Jonathan Miles? new novel Eradication follows Adi?s journey as he struggles with a gruesome mission assigned to him. In today?s episode, Miles joins NPR?s Scott Simon for a conversation about Adi?s personal motives and the difficulty of killing animals. 


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Content warning: this episode contains discussions of sexual abuse.


In 2024, Gisèle Pelicot waived her right to anonymity as the victim during her own rape case in France, demanding a public trial. Soon after, she became an international feminist icon for her self-sacrifice. In A Hymn to Life, Pelicot recounts the unconscionable horrors she suffered at the hands of her husband and 50 other men?but she also establishes herself as a witness rather than simply a victim. In today?s episode, Pelicot joins NPR?s Michel Martin to discuss her new memoir, and her complex relationship with the hope that remains.


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Rock climbing is a great sport for thrill-seekers. In Gabriel Tallent?s Crux, main characters Dan and Tamma fit the bill perfectly. At just 17 years old, they bond over the side of a mountain where one miscalculated inch of movement could mean life or death. However, risk doesn?t disappear once they make it safely to flat ground. For Dan and Tamma, risk exists in growing up, and growing out of their physical and emotional comfort zones. In today?s episode, Tallent joins NPR?s Juana Summers to discuss his newest novel and how rock climbing can widen more than one type of human perspective.


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Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the first drilling at Mount Rushmore, the iconic American landmark in South Dakota. But Matthew Davis, author of the new book A Biography of a Mountain, says the project is actually unfinished. In today?s episode, he joins NPR?s Sacha Pfeiffer for a conversation about the original vision for Mount Rushmore, which was intended to diversify a struggling South Dakota economy after World War I.


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The Super Bowl is over, but the NFL season is set to ramp up again in just a few months.  Today?s episode features two nonfiction books that delve into the world of football. First, Chuck Klosterman?s Football is a critical reading of the sport. He spoke with NPR?s Juana Summers about why football became dominant in American culture and why he believes it?ll lose popularity over the next decades. Then, Danny Funt speaks with NPR?s A Martínez about his new book Everybody Loses, which charts the sports gambling boom and the NFL?s role in the popularization of prop bets.


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About a decade ago, professor and historian Ethelene Whitmire was presenting research on the experiences of African Americans living in Denmark. At that talk, she met ? by chance ? a relative of Reed Peggram, one of her research subjects. That relative directed Whitmire to a trove of letters written by Peggram, a queer, Black translator who found himself in Europe on the eve of World War II. In today?s episode, Whitmire joins NPR?s Scott Simon for a conversation about her book The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram, the project that emerged from his family?s archive.


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In his latest novel, George Saunders continues to explore his interest in death and the afterlife. Vigil tells the story of an oil tycoon and climate change denier named K.J. Boone who?s visited by a series of ghosts in his final hours. In today?s episode, NPR?s Scott Detrow asks Saunders about similarities between this novel and A Christmas Carol. They also discuss the author?s Substack, his experience in the oil industry, and the role of storytelling in this political moment.


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Gov. Josh Shapiro has plenty of dark experiences that he could recount in his new memoir, Where We Keep the Light. In his first term as Pennsylvania?s governor, he investigated abuse within the Catholic Church and was the victim of an arson attack in his own home. But as Shapiro eyes a second term in Pennsylvania, he says he?s choosing to focus on the light. In today?s episode Shapiro sits down with NPR?s Scott Detrow, and the two discuss the power of local civic engagement ? including how small communities can produce big change. 


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Kate loves her husband and their family, but she?s also involved in a long-standing affair with a married lover. Ellie Levenson opens her novel Room 706 with the secret lovers in their London hotel room. There, they soon find themselves trapped during a hostage crisis. In today?s episode, the author talks with NPR?s Scott Simon about why she chose to tell a story about modern womanhood and motherhood through such extreme circumstances.


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Two new books focus on lesser-known chapters of Black history. First, Kings & Pawns tells the story of Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson, who were pitted against each other during the Red Scare. In today?s episode, author Howard Bryant, a frequent contributor to NPR?s Weekend Edition, speaks with Scott Simon about how the men got caught between patriotism and activism. Then, NPR investigative reporter Cheryl W. Thompson tells NPR?s Ayesha Rascoe about Forgotten Souls, a history of the 27 Tuskegee Airmen who went missing during World War II.


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Dating apps are full of small lies, but Rosie Storey?s debut novel imagines a relationship built on a much bigger one. What if you take over the profile of someone who?s no longer alive? In Dandelion is Dead, a grieving woman named Poppy gets into her dead older sister?s phone and logs into her dating app. There, a particular message catches her eye. In today?s episode, Storey talks with NPR?s Juana Summers about online dating, writing from a male perspective, and the author?s own friend who died at a young age.


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In today?s interview, author Nina McConigley tells NPR?s Ayesha Rascoe that she wanted to write a sister book. How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder is the author?s dark debut novel about two Indian-American sisters growing up in rural Wyoming in the 1980s. There, they experience abuse that drives them to seek revenge. In today?s episode, McGonigley and Rascoe discuss split identities and the complex feelings that arise from life under colonialism ? and from surviving abuse.


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When Rose?s 6-year-old nephew arrives for a week-long visit, she has a lot of expectations for how their time together will go. Instead, the boy?s soul ends up possessed by ? a corgi. This zany twist is the setup for Sara Levine?s novel The Hitch, which she calls a blend of horror, comedy and metaphysics. In today?s episode, Levine speaks with Here & Now?s Indira Lakshmanan about parenting, writing a shapeshifter character, and crafting a novel where divergent interpretations are possible.


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In Angela Tomaski?s debut novel, an old English manor has just been sold and is on the brink of conversion into a hotel. The Infamous Gilberts tells the story of the crumbling building, and the people who once lived there through the objects that inhabit it. In today?s episode, Tomaski joins NPR?s Scott Simon for a conversation about the family at the center of her story ? and the secrets held by the story?s narrator.


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To wrap up our pre-Valentine?s Day week of reads, we revisit two roundtable discussions with contemporary romance authors. First, Here & Now?s Celeste Headlee speaks with Helen Hoang and Emily Henry about the state of the genre ? and how the authors approach writing sex scenes. Then, Here & Now?s Kalyani Saxena moderates a conversation between Beverly Jenkins, Jasmine Guillory, and Ali Hazelwood in front of a crowd of romance fans at WBUR?s CitySpace.


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Romance writer Jasmine Guillory writes beautiful love stories ? but that doesn't mean they aren't based in reality. Her novel Party of Two, from the summer of 2020, is about a Black woman and a white man who have a meet-cute and start a casual long-distance relationship. But race does have an impact on their connection because of the different ways the world has received them. Guillory told former NPR host Lulu Garcia-Navarro that real-life couples have these conversations, so her characters should too.


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In 2019, Sally Rooney was promoting Normal People, the novel that would become her breakout hit. The book inspired a popular Hulu adaptation and positioned the author as one of the leading literary voices of her generation. In today?s episode, we revisit an interview between Rooney and NPR?s Rachel Martin, in which they reflect on the shifting nature of the novel?s central relationship.


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Content warning: this episode contains discussions of sexual assault.


It?s not breaking news that technology has seeped into modern dating culture. Screens make it easier for us to meet people, but does this convenience trigger a loss of genuine connection? In Mary H.K. Choi?s Emergency Contact, two young lovers are put to the test when their devices become an unwanted third party in their relationship. In today?s episode, Choi joins NPR?s Lulu Navarro for a conversation about her debut novel, and how teenagers can seek meaningful connections with each other beyond a phone screen.


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Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan are authors known worldwide for their contributions to the genres of romance and horror. But in 2025, they brought these genres together for a collaborative book and movie project titled Remain. In today?s episode, we kick off Book of the Day?s 2026 romance week with a discussion between Sparks, Shyamalan, and NPR?s Leila Fadel. The two join Fadel at NPR?s New York Bureau to talk about their co-authored novel, its inspirations, and the heartfelt, supernatural roots of storytelling itself.


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January is the month for people to take stock of their habits and routines ? and two new books offer unconventional approaches to shaking up our lives. First, Mark Medley?s Live to See the Day is about the pursuit of far-fetched goals. He spoke with NPR?s A Martínez about what we can learn from no-hope political candidates, amateur creature-hunters, and dreamers. Then, comedian Chris Duffy?s Humor Me asks readers to find the funny alongside the grim. In today?s episode, he tells NPR?s Sacha Pfeiffer about the inspiration for the book, which came from his experience as a teacher.

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The Iranian government has exerted forceful control over its citizens since the Islamic Republic seized power nearly 50 years ago. The pop star Googoosh has firsthand experience of opposition to the regime ? and its consequences. In 1980, the singer was imprisoned and forced into a basement with other women after the government deemed her music sinful. Afterwards, she spent decades living in silence and exile. In today?s episode, she joins Here & Now?s Peter O?Dowd for a conversation about her new memoir, Googoosh: A Sinful Voice, and her relationship with Iran, then and now.


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Is there anything you wouldn?t do for your favorite person? That question is at the center of Sarah Harman?s debut novel All the Other Mothers Hate Me. The book follows a single mom, Florence, who goes to extreme lengths to defend her son when he becomes a suspect in the disappearance of his school bully. In today?s episode, Harman tells NPR?s Ayesha Rascoe about her misfit protagonist and her observations of British culture from an outsider?s perspective.


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Jacob Soboroff was one of the reporters on the front lines of last year?s devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. For him, the story was also deeply personal: He grew up in the Palisades, one of several neighborhoods engulfed by the flames. In his new book Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America?s New Age of Disaster, Soboroff provides a firsthand account of the Palisades and Eaton fires ? and tries to understand what went wrong. In today?s episode, Soboroff speaks with Here & Now?s Peter O?Dowd about witnessing the destruction of his childhood neighborhood and the political aftermath of the fires.


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Author Daniyal Mueenuddin has hit the ground running with his debut novel, This is Where the Serpent Lives. Set in modern Pakistan, the story spans generations and explores class, corruption, and crime ? themes that  Mueenuddin says he believes might resonate with American readers in particular. In today?s episode, Mueenuddin speaks with NPR?s Scott Simon about his novel-writing process for This is Where the Serpent Lives, and why he sprinkled subtle autobiographical details across its pages.

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Body image can be a tricky subject to navigate for those of all ages ? including kids. In today?s episode, we?re highlighting two kids? books that encourage body positivity and spark curiosity about our outsides and insides. First, NPR?s Scott Detrow talks to author Susan Verde about her book Body Beautiful, and her quest to stop kids? negative self-talk before it begins. Then, Here & Now?s Robin Young speaks with author Whitney Casares about her book My One-of-a-Kind-Body, and how teens (and tweens) can cultivate healthy relationships with their own bodies ? even during the internet age.   


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Robert Smalls? dynamic life story ? his daring escape from slavery, his pivotal role in the Civil War, and the political career that ensued ? was almost lost to history. But now there are plans to preserve and celebrate him. A new monument honoring Smalls is set to be unveiled outside the South Carolina Statehouse. In today?s episode, Michael Boulware Moore, Smalls? great-great-grandson and author of the book Freedom on the Sea, joins Here & Now?s Anthony Brooks to talk about Smalls' legacy.


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In the spring of 1941, Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, braced for incoming attacks from German bombers. Over April and May, four German air raids killed thousands of Belfast residents. Lucy Caldwell?s novel These Days is set during this time. In today?s episode, she speaks with NPR?s Scott Simon about a piece of writing advice from Gabriel García Márquez, what she learned from survivors of the Belfast Blitz, and why she wanted to share this chapter in her city?s history.


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We are in the thick of winter in the U.S. Days are short, nights are long, and in much of the country, it?s crisp and cold outside. A new book by the Scottish author Val McDermid makes the case for the season?s beauty ? despite its challenges. Winter: The Story of a Season is a work of creative nonfiction that explores seasonal traditions and McDermid?s personal memories. In today?s episode, the author joins NPR?s Daniel Estrin for a conversation that touches on McDermid?s crime novels, the difficulty of winter for unhoused people, and the tradition of a ?Burns Supper.?


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Matt Greene?s new novel The Definitions starts with new college dormmates getting to know each other. But there?s a dystopian twist: The students have survived a virus that has erased people?s memories. Nameless students attend school at The Center, where they?re told their memories will one day return to them. In today?s episode, Greene chats with NPR?s Lauren Frayer about the philosophy of language, the pandemic, and some unresolved questions from his book.


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Two debut novelists are out with murder mysteries set in the United Kingdom. First, Jennie Godfrey?s The List of Suspicious Things is a coming-of-age story inspired by the Yorkshire Ripper, the English serial killer who murdered 13 women in the 1970s. In today?s episode, Godfrey tells NPR?s Scott Simon about her own experience growing up during the time of these murders. Then, Death at the White Hart is a novel by Chris Chibnall, the creator of the television show Broadchurch. In today?s episode, Chibnall tells NPR?s Mary Louise Kelly about the two rival pubs at the center of his story.


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Indian Bengali writer Amitav Ghosh has been writing about empire, the environment, and other subjects for the past 25 years. Now, he has gathered some of his essays into a new collection called Wild Fictions, which asks big questions about the way humans are connected to other forms of life. In today?s episode, Ghosh joins NPR?s Scott Simon for a conversation that touches on climate change as a problem of politics, culture, and imagination. They also discuss an idea central to Ghosh?s thought: that anthropocentrism is responsible for our current planetary crisis.


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Hester Kaplan, the daughter of Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Justin Kaplan, knew her father was an esteemed writer and researcher, but she didn?t quite know him personally. After the elder Kaplan died in 2014, Hester began to discover her father, unexpectedly, through his famous biographical account of Mark Twain. In today?s episode, Kaplan speaks with Here and Now?s Tiziana Dearing about the power of biography, and how her memoir Twice Born recounts the stories of a man ? and a family ? still alive in the margins. 


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Palantir is one of the world?s most valuable companies, analyzing data for businesses, but also for U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies. The Philosopher in the Valley, a new book by Michael Steinberger, is a portrait of the company?s CEO, Alex Karp. In today?s episode, Steinberger speaks with NPR?s Steve Inskeep about Palantir?s operations at the nexus of technology and national security, Karp?s liberal arts background, and the CEO?s unusual lifestyle.


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Russ & Daughters opened in 1914 and is one of the last remaining ?appetizing stores? in New York City. The shop ? which the owners say is not a deli ? is famous for its bagels and lox, among other classic Jewish foods. Now, the Russ family is out with a cookbook that includes history, recipes and musings from the last century. In today?s episode, NPR?s Scott Simon visits Russ & Daughters, where he finds the shop brimming with smoked salmon, whitefish salad, chubs, trout, sable, sturgeon and more.

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As 2025 comes to a close, we're revisiting interviews with this year's nominees and winners of some of the biggest prizes in literature. Last up: A 10-year-old girl, Louisa, is later found on a beach in Japan ? and her father has disappeared. She and her mother are left on their own ? but the tragedy doesn?t bring them closer together, at least for a long time. Susan Choi?s novel Flashlight follows this family across generations and a vast historical expanse. In today?s episode, Choi speaks with NPR?s Scott Simon about why her protagonist fends off love, her interest in the historical tensions between Korea and Japan, and the benefit of writing in chronological order.


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As 2025 comes to a close, we're revisiting interviews with this year's nominees and winners of some of the biggest prizes in literature. Tessa Hulls? grandmother, Sun Yi, was a dissident journalist in Shanghai who faced intense political persecution during the Chinese Communist Revolution. In today?s episode, Hulls tells Here & Now?s Scott Tong that her grandmother?s trauma often cast a shadow over their family ? one she decided to finally face in her new graphic memoir, Feeding Ghosts. It?s a reexamining of Hulls? matriarchal lineage, of Chinese history and of generational love and healing.

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