Books and Literature
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From NCPR Blogs:
Sure, we may still see some frosty nights, but the days have lengthened and the end of the school season is within sight. When I was growing up–regardless of where I spent the summer months–reading was a big part of my vacation. I...
We know the cliches: “Home is where the heart is;” “Home is where when you knock at the door, they have to let you in;” “Home is a haven in a heartless world;” and so on. These platitudes might express a deep truth for some of us, but,...
One of the hottest books in America right now is F. Scott Fizgerald’s The Great Gatsby, which at its heart is the tale of a self-made man’s obsession with a larger-than-life woman, Daisy Buchanan. It’s a fantastic book, with all...
An unscheduled press conference with President Obama pre-empted broadcast of our Readers & Writers conversation with Terry Tempest Williams. Online audio of the conversation in now available. Terry Tempest Williams will be our guest Tuesday,...
Tuesday, April 23, 4-5 pm, a first for the NCPR book club: a live broadcast from the library at Fort Drum with Siobhan Fallon, the author of the short story collection, “You Know When the Men Are Gone.” Audio archive of our conversation...
Books and Authors
May 14, 2013 — Chimamanda Adichie's Americanah is about a young Nigerian woman who moves to the U.S. It's a story of relocation, far-flung love and life as an outsider. But reviewer Rosecrans Baldwin says that despite the author's talent, much of the storytelling feels flat.
May 20, 2013 — When Christine Ha won MasterChef in 2012, she blew the reality TV show judges away with her Vietnamese influenced cooking. But what really impressed viewers was that she had total control in the kitchen, even though she's blind. Host Michel Martin speaks to Christine Ha about her new cookbook Recipes from my Home Kitchen.
May 20, 2013 — Quidditch was invented "in a small hotel in Manchester after a row with my then boyfriend," writes the Harry Potter creator. Other book news: Ireland puts an entire short story on a postage stamp; Daniel Handler on Midwestern literature; and the best books coming out this week.
Special Features
No Bigger Than a Piano Box: a North Country Schoolhouse in 1893
By historian Betsy Kepes. Based on the 1893 diary of a North Country schoolteacher. A Women's History Month special. Teacher's guide and CD available.
A Franklin Manor Christmas
Paul Willcott of Saranac Lake reads his original Adirondack holiday story set in a down-at-heels former cure cottage and monastery occupied by a lonesome ex-professor.
Book review: "Peak Experiences"
May 14, 2013 — The mountains of the northeast attract hikers to their rocky summits. What happens, though, when something goes wrong? Carol Stone White collected over 50 essays in her new book, Peak Experiences - Danger, Death, and Daring in the Mountains of the Northeast. Betsy Kepes as this review. Go to full article
Books: "Friends in a Storm"
May 09, 2013 — A new children's book by Canton writer Mary Sue Seymour includes illustrations by a young artist from Ogdensburg. Friends in a Storm tells the story of Squirrel, who gets locked out of his house during a rainstorm, and is befriended by Owl.
Todd Moe spoke with author Mary Sue Seymour and 12-year-old artist Samantha Flynn, who created the illustrations for the book. Seymour says she wrote the story while teaching a kindergarten class in Hammond.
Mary Sue Seymour and Samantha Flynn will sign copies of their book, Friends in a Storm, at the Brewer Bookstore in Canton from 1-3 pm on Saturday. Go to full article
Todd Moe spoke with author Mary Sue Seymour and 12-year-old artist Samantha Flynn, who created the illustrations for the book. Seymour says she wrote the story while teaching a kindergarten class in Hammond.
Mary Sue Seymour and Samantha Flynn will sign copies of their book, Friends in a Storm, at the Brewer Bookstore in Canton from 1-3 pm on Saturday. Go to full article
Readers & Writers: Terry Tempest Williams, "When Women Were Birds"
Apr 30, 2013 — Our guest is well-known essayist and poet Terry Tempest Williams, talking about her most recent book, When Women Were Birds, Fifty-Four Variations on Voice - a collection of short essays on memory, faith and voice. Williams' work is steeped in the landscape and lore of Utah and the West where she has lived and worked most of her life. Ellen Rocco, Chris Robinson and Betsy Kepes join the conversation Go to full article
Readers & Writers: George Bilgere, "The White Museum"
Apr 26, 2013 — Our guest is George Bilgere, author of The White Museum, Haywire, The Good Kiss and other collections of poetry. A new collection, Imperial, is due out this... Go to full article
Readers & Writers: Siobhan Fallon, "You Know When the Men Are Gone"
Apr 23, 2013 — Author Siobhan Fallon talks with Ellen Rocco, Chris Robinson and Phil LaMarche about her collection of stories on the lives of military families, You Know When the Men... Go to full article
Book Review: "Safekeeping"
Mar 27, 2013 — Vermont author, Karen Hesse, earned the Newbery Medal and a MacArthur Fellowship. Her new book for Young Adults is set in Vermont and explores a world gone wrong. Betsy... Go to full article
Cabin Fever Reading Call-in
Canton, NY, Mar 26, 2013 — What books are helping you stay sane until the sun returns? Callers, visitors and NCPR staff share their picks with Readers & Writers co-hosts Ellen Rocco and Chris... Go to full article
The stories behind ski hills of the past
Mar 15, 2013 — For every ski area that's survived, like Titus Mountain or Mt. Pisgah in Saranac Lake, there are dozens of ski hills that didn't.
Jeremy Davis has been documenting... Go to full article
Jeremy Davis has been documenting... Go to full article
Canton students talk about a 500-page novel
Mar 01, 2013 — Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell, is the subject on the latest edition of the Readers & Writers book club. We had nine Canton students, two teachers and Betsy Kepes, our NCPR... Go to full article
Readers & Writers: Rebecca Solnit, A Paradise Built in Hell
Canton, NY, Feb 15, 2013 — Our guest is National Book Award winner Rebecca Solnit, author of A Paradise Built in Hell. Even if you haven't read the book, you will relate to the thread of her... Go to full article
