The Thread® - Books and Literary News

The Thread® is your source for book recommendations and other 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.

December 3, 2009 12:00 AM

Books' digital future

As more and more books are published every year, Harvard University's head librarian says the future for books and the publishing industry will be a digital one. The transition from print to computer will provide a test of how well we preserve our great works of literature.

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November 27, 2009 12:00 AM

When science and literature inspired one another

While Wordsworth and Byron were forging the age of Romantic literature, a burst of scientific discovery was happening that forever changed astronomy, chemistry, and physics. Author Richard Holmes reaches back to this period in history to understand the foundations of modern science.

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November 23, 2009 12:00 AM

Talking Volumes with Stephen King and Audrey Niffenegger

Two masters of the art of frightening fiction share the stage at the Fitzgerald Theater in the latest installment of Talking Volumes. Stephen King's latest novel is about what happens to a town that becomes surrounded by an impenetrable dome. Audrey Niffenegger's latest novel has twin teenaged girls haunted by the residents of Highgate Cemetery in London. Talking Volumes, hosted by Kerri Miller, was recorded Nov. 18.

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November 19, 2009 6:12 PM

Talking Volumes: Stephen King

Author Stephen King talks about his first published novel, "Carrie," during the Talking Volumes series at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. Kerri Miller hosted the live event November 18, 2009.

by Kerri Miller

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November 17, 2009 4:00 PM

Visiting the land of invented languages

Linguist Arika Okrent speaks many languages, including several such as Klingon and Esperanto, which someone sat down and invented from scratch. In her new book "In the Land of Invented Languages," Okrent explores nine centuries of linguistic invention, and the belief that a better language could lead to a better world.

by Euan Kerr

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November 16, 2009 12:00 AM

Talking Volumes with Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver's new novel, "The Lacuna," is the story of a man who spends his youth among legendary Mexican figures Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, then grows reclusive in older age. Kingsolver talked with Kerri Miller on Nov. 11 as part of the Talking Volumes regional book club series.

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November 13, 2009 6:26 PM

Barbara Kingsolver on being a writer

Author Barbara Kingsolver talks about being a writer and her hometown library. Filmed live at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minn. November 11, 2009 with host Kerri Miller.

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November 13, 2009 12:00 AM

A fictional exploration of the terrorist mind

A new thriller from author and journalist Masha Hamilton takes readers inside the mind of a terrorist contemplating an attack in New York, as his mother and girlfriend try to figure out how to stop him.

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November 11, 2009 12:00 AM

Mary Karr on alcoholism, sobriety, and finding religion

Mary Karr has described the writing her first memoir, "The Liar's Club" as a scalding experience. Her third and latest memoir talks about her burning need for sobriety and belief in God.