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Talking Volumes

Talking Volumes is an annual event series featuring notable authors in conversation about their new books. Presented by MPR News and The Minnesota Star Tribune. 

'The Souvenir Museum' is an exhibit to savor
Elizabeth McCracken's new story collection dazzles with verbal flexibility, insight and feeling, capturing the oddities and mixed bags, the loves and losses that make up most people's lives.
Mother-daughter memoir of autism exemplifies the power of language
Heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure, “I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust” is a chronicle of not only finding one's voice, but of learning to make others understand that voice.
John Boehner on the 'noisemakers' of the Republican Party
Boehner was the Republican speaker of the House during much of the Obama presidency. His new memoir recounts his time leading House Republicans — even if that meant doing things he personally opposed.
Kim Scott’s advice on creating a more just workplace
Kim Scott has worked at some of Silicon Valley’s best known businesses including Apple and Google. The author of “Just Work” shared her advice for addressing bias and bullying at work.
Ambition, alchemy and searching for way to fit in 'Gold Diggers'
Sanjena Sathian's novel follows a Georgia teenager, son of Indian immigrants, as he struggles with balancing his own ambitions and those of his parents, and finding his own way to be brown in America.
Author Viet Thanh Nguyen on ‘The Committed’
The award-winning author joined MPR News for a conversation about his life and the inspiration behind his latest novel.
Too many 'Peaces' overload an otherwise entertaining story
Helen Oyeyemi's new novel is a no-holds-barred mashup of Agatha Christie-style mystery oddities like mongoose genealogy, kidnapped gaming champions and a woman who chokes on emeralds in her sleep.
'Farewell For Now:' Leigh Bardugo On 'Rule Of Wolves'
Leigh Bardugo is winding up her Russian-inflected Grishaverse series (at least for now) with “Rule of Wolves,” which continues the story of the dashing King Nikolai of Ravka and his demonic interloper.
Bari Weiss speaks at St. Olaf about her book, 'How to Fight Anti-Semitism'
Former Wall Street Journal and New York Times journalist Bari Weiss speaks at the St. Olaf College Institute for Freedom and Community about the ideas in her book, “How to Fight Anti-Semitism.”