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The humorist, who made his name with personal essays and other nonfiction, tells Steve Inskeep that his return to fiction kept taking him to surprising places. But the unhappy endings? Those he could have predicted.

Tamil is a language known for its poetry, but commentator Sandip Roy knows it has another side. Dime-store pulp fiction has a large Tamil-speaking following — and a newly translated anthology is coming to America.

In times of great danger, some survivors report encountering a phantom presence, which guides them to safety. Writer John Geiger chronicles the phenomenon in his new book, The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible.

The American Library Association awarded its top medals to Dan Santat's tale of an imaginary friend on a mission and Kwame Alexander's story of basketball-playing twins.

When Roya Hakakian moved from Iran to the U.S., she didn't think any poet in her adopted country could top the ones whose work she grew up with. But then she discovered a piece that blew away her prejudices. It was "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke.

Kids eventually realize their parents are real people, says author Molly Brodak. But in her new memoir, she talks about another sort of realization: That her father was dishonest, and a criminal.

At the annual Oscar gala, the cameras flash and reporters ask whose clothes you're wearing. But they only offer a glimpse of nominees and their escorts. This Sunday, commentator Peggy Orenstein will walk the red carpet with her filmmaker husband — another time.

Biographer Frances Wilson discusses the intense connection between William Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy — and the "vortex of poetry" in which they lived.

The word "vaccine" saw a more than 600% increase in lookups this year over last. In its announcement, Merriam-Webster noted that it's come to represent much more than just medicine.

Ronald Clark's father was a live-in custodian at a New York City library. We revisit Clark's StoryCorps conversation with his daughter about how living in a library shaped the man he would become.

In the latest Politically Speaking, NPR Correspondent Scott Horsley's high school reunion got him thinking about the importance of selecting good national leaders.

Here's what we learned from a hectic spate of financial report cards shared by top U.S. retailers.

August is a busy month of statewide primaries. Five states hold primaries on Tuesday. In Arizona, there are key races for governor, Congress, attorney general and secretary of state.

Many places in the Northeast are likely to see record-breaking temperatures on Sunday, and while relief may be on the way, temperatures are expected to heat up in places like the Pacific Northwest.

The final game of the 2022 World Cup on Sunday is set to be its most thrilling. Defending champion France takes on Argentina as Lionel Messi seeks the one trophy missing from his glorious career.

A law past last year requires school boards to adopt procedures that provide for the “regular removal or discontinuance” of books that don't align with state standards, among other factors.

Fan fiction may not command the same respect as other literary pursuits, but it's a rich mode of expression, says one author who mounts a passionate case for the style.

Vice President Harris will visit Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia to discuss issues like economic growth and food security. She's the highest-ranking administration official to travel to the continent.

Colorado's new congressional district was drawn to be highly competitive. Its election pits a Latina Democrat against a Republican who became a politician to fight environmental injustice.

Harvard announces it will end its early admissions program, a move that is sure to send ripples through the world of elite colleges and universities -- and through high schools where competition to get into the schools is fierce.

Oysters, cocaine, fine wine, love triangles: Stephanie Danler's debut novel Sweetbitter follows a year in the life of a young woman working at a top-tier Manhattan restaurant.

Tracy Morgan, a Saturday Night Live alumnus and one of the stars of NBC's 30 Rock, has a new memoir — I Am the New Black — about growing up in what he calls "Ghetto, USA."

David Jaher's account of Harry Houdini attempt to debunk Boston society psychic Mina Crandon mixes history with high-wire theatricality — even though most readers will know who came out on top.

Millions of Indians celebrated Diwali on Sunday with a Guinness World Record number of bright earthen oil lamps as concerns about air pollution soared in the South Asian country.

With international travel clawing closer to pre-pandemic levels, Florida is on pace for a record-setting year for tourism.