The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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Sign up for The Thread newsletter to get reading recommendations from Kerri Miller and other bookworms around the MPR newsroom. Sam Stroozas rounds up local events and Minnesota book news you may have missed.

Ask a Bookseller

Ask a Bookseller is a weekly series where host Emily Bright checks in with booksellers around the country about their favorite books of the moment. Listen to Ask a Bookseller to find your next favorite book.

Big Books and Bold Ideas

Big Books and Bold Ideas is a weekly series hosted by Kerri Miller and produced by Kelly Gordon every Friday at 11 a.m., featuring conversations about books and other literary ideas. Listen to Big Books and Bold Ideas here.

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.

Fifty years later, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' still resonates
The Pulitzer Prize winning classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" turns 50 this year. Kerri Miller interviews a documentarian who gained rare interviews with Harper Lee's sister and friends to help reveal the story behind the book.
Michele Norris discusses her new memoir
Michele Norris, co-host of NPR's All Things Considered, is back in her home town of Minneapolis to talk about her new memoir, "The Grace of Silence." It's a very personal look at how we do -- and do not -- talk about race in America.
A Harvard historian known for her chronicle of a slave family owned by Thomas Jefferson has won a MacArthur "Genius" grant. Kerri Miller spoke with Annette Gordon-Reed on stage last year at a Concordia College event.
The reader's guide to travel
Nancy Pearl doesn't like to travel, but she loves to read about far-off lands. Her new book recommends literature for prospective travelers.
NPR's Scott Simon on adoption: 'It's been a wonderful, emotional experience'
Most of us know Scott Simon as the host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday. But in his new book "Baby, we were meant for each other" he explores another hugely important part of his life - as an adoptive father.
Talking Volumes: Jonathan Franzen
Jonathan Franzen joined Kerri Miller for a Talking Volumes conversation about his new book "Freedom." Recorded at the Fitzgerald Theater on September 21st, 2010.
Super sad satire from writer Gary Shteyngart
Novelist Gary Shteyngart's latest work is a comic love story set in a future America on the verge of collapse, where books no longer exist and people spend their time watching videos on iPhone-like devices. The author says it reflects a culture in which technology has outpaced our ability to process it.
Author Per Petterson on writing
The English translation of Per Petterson's "Out Stealing Horses" won a prestigious international award and helped fuel the public's passion for Nordic literature. His latest novel deals with a man's attempt to reconnect with his dying mother.
Newsmaker: Oprah and Jonathan Franzen make nice
Jonathan Franzen raised eyebrows in 2001 when he dismissed the selection of his novel "The Corrections" by the Oprah Winfrey Book Club and made comments that led the talk show host to revoke her invitation. She's announcing today that Franzen's new novel, "Freedom," will be her next book club pick.
The father of cyberpunk
In his 1984 novel "Neuromancer," author William Gibson envisioned a technological future that looks a lot like the present. He joins Midmorning to talk about his new novel and how his concept of the future has changed.