The Writers' Block | May 13, 2012

Are You My Mother?

Alison Bechdel, author of the wildly successful Fun Home, reads a passage from her latest graphic memoir, Are You My Mother? By Alison Bechdel   



The Writers' Block | May 07, 2012

None of This Is Real

Miranda Mellis reads a passage from None of This Is Real, her collection that imagines a not-too-alternate reality of philosophical children, reincarnating chimeras, mutant matriarchies, and kind seers adapting to affliction. By Miranda Mellis   



The Writers' Block | Apr 30, 2012

Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day

Doug Mack reads a passage from Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day, about being mistaken for a Diane Keaton groupie on a trip to Paris. By Doug Mack   



The Writers' Block | Apr 23, 2012

Kasher in the Rye

Moshe Kasher reads a passage from Kasher in the Rye, the true tale of a white boy from Oakland who became a drug addict, criminal, mental patient, and then turned 16. By Moshe Kasher   



The Writers' Block | Apr 16, 2012

No One Is Here Except All Of Us

Ramona Ausubel reads a passage from No One Is Here Except All Of Us, about a Romanian village that tries to save itself from the horrors of World War II through the sheer force of imagination. By Ramona Ausubel   



The Writers' Block | Apr 09, 2012

More from One More for the People

Martha Grover reads "Swedish Massage," a story from her new collection, One More for the People. By Martha Grover   



Literature | Apr 07, 2012

Wayne Koestenbaum and 'The Anatomy of Harpo Marx'

The Anatomy of Harpo Marx, from the poet and cultural critic Wayne Koestenbaum, has the nerve not to be just another impersonal, theory-glazed boredom generator. Instead it's a zesty and deeply literate joy to read. By Jonathan Kiefer   

The Writers' Block | Apr 02, 2012

The Mirage

Matt Ruff reads a passage from The Mirage, a mind-bending novel in which an alternate history of 9/11 and its aftermath uncovers startling truths about America and the Middle East. By Matt Ruff   



The Writers' Block | Mar 26, 2012

By Blood

Ellen Ullman reads a passage from her latest novel, By Blood, about a disgraced professor who becomes enraptured by the troubles of his psychologist neighbor's patient. By Ellen Ullman   



The Writers' Block | Mar 14, 2012

Baby Geisha

Trinie Dalton reads "Escape Mushroom Style," a story from her new collection, Baby Geisha. By Trinie Dalton   



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Author Interviews
  • Americans: A 'Bunch Of Amateurs,' And Proud Of It

    In his new book, journalist Jack Hitt says America's amateur spirit goes back to the nation's origins — and it's nothing to be ashamed of. The Europeans viewed the Americans as an "unfinished people," Hitt says. "We were amateur everything." And it's only made the nation better.

  • 'Never Fall Down': Surviving The Killing Fields

    Patricia McCormick's new young adult novel tells the story of Arn Chorn-Pond, a real-life survivor of the Cambodian genocide whose musical skills kept him alive.

  • A Conversation With Author Carlos Fuentes

    Carlos Fuentes, one of the most influential writers in the Latin American world, died Tuesday at a hospital in Mexico City. He was 83. Fresh Air remembers the prolific author with excerpts from a 1987 interview.

  • Two Gray Titles, One Sexy Mix-Up

    What happens when two books with similar names are out at the same time? Well, when one is historical fiction set in Lithuania and the other an S&M novel that's ripping up the best-sellers list, some interesting teachable moments.

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