The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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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.

Tickets are now available for our 26th season. Join award-winning journalist and MPR News host Kerri Miller (and special guest host Catharine Richart) as they talk with authors including Stacey Abrams, Patricia Lockwood, Misty Copeland, John Grisham, and Kate Baer.

March 23, 2018 4:31 AM

In 'All the Names They Used for God,' the magical meets the harrowing

Author Anjali Sachdeva spins captivating short stories around kernels of the otherworldly. She says it can be a way to overcome the impulse to look away from that which is unsettling or traumatic.

by Audie Cornish

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March 22, 2018 7:18 AM

Whiting Awards announce 10 winners, aiming to honor future bookshelf staples

Since it began in 1985, the annual prize has recognized emerging writers. And while you may not know the winners announced Wednesday, their futures are bright -- if previous winners are any indication.

by Colin Dwyer

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March 21, 2018 6:45 AM

'Let's No One Get Hurt' is a lyrical, powerful coming-of-age story

Jon Pineda's new novel follows a young girl living with her father in an old boathouse, somewhere in the Southern United States. It's a well-written book that manages to be both honest and poetic.

by Michael Schaub

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March 19, 2018 7:51 PM

John Oliver spoofs Pence picture book about bunny

John Oliver's spoof of a new picture book by the wife and daughter of Vice President Mike Pence was No. 1 on Amazon.com and out of stock as of midday Monday. No. 2 on Amazon was James Comey's "A Higher Loyalty," the upcoming memoir by the FBI director fired last year.

by The Associated Press

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March 17, 2018 4:00 AM

A powerful look at black girls' path through the education system

Clarrissa Cropper said "Pushout" traces how factors at home affect students' "ability to be at school, and be surrounded by the pressures of classmates, teachers, homework."

by Tracy Mumford

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March 15, 2018 6:33 AM

Harper Lee estate sues over 'Mockingbird' Broadway version

The estate of "To Kill a Mockingbird" author Harper Lee has filed suit over an upcoming Broadway adaptation of the novel, arguing that screenwriter Aaron Sorkin's script wrongly alters Atticus Finch and other characters from the book.

by The Associated Press

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March 15, 2018 12:00 AM

Author Alan Hollinghurst on secret affairs, narrative gaps and writing gay sex

Alan Hollinghurst's new domestic epic leapfrogs across seven decades to examine how the laws of social propriety shape the destinies of a father and son.

by Ari Shapiro

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March 15, 2018 12:00 AM

In 'Go Home,' finding -- or building -- a home with words

This new anthology of Asian diasporic writers, edited by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, is packed with stories, essays and poetry on the idea of home -- where it is, what it is, and how you find or lose it.

by Ilana Masad

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March 14, 2018 6:34 AM

Two books investigate the mysteries of Agatha Christie and the Golden State Killer

Maureen Corrigan recommends two books that grapple with real-life mysteries: Laura Thompson's biography of the sphinxlike Agatha Christie, and "I'll Be Gone In The Dark," by the late Michelle McNamara.

by Maureen Corrigan