The Thread

The Thread from MPR News

A new twist on book talk

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A bittersweet moment for Black bookstore owners
As Black booksellers race to meet increased demand for books about race and justice, many are dealing with complicated, sometimes painful feelings about what the new business means.
A painful past and ghostly present converge in 'Tokyo Ueno Station'
Yu Miri's novel, about a homeless man who dies and finds the afterlife much bleaker than he expected, is both mournful and angry, emphasizing the unfairness of poverty with painful contrasts.
The latest entry in a new wave of memoirs
Bookseller Derrick Young recommends a memoir that leverages the writer’s sense of humor to address the heavy topics of race and toxic masculinity.
Have questions about voting? A law professor tells you 'What you need to know'
In a new book, Kim Wehle explains voting basics. She tells NPR, "if we don't go to the polls to protect democracy itself, it could fail. And I believe that's what's on the ballot in November."
'Jesus And John Wayne' explores Christian manhood — and how belief can bolster Trump
Author Kristin Kobes Du Mez says: "It seemed like evangelicals had betrayed their values. But if you look at this longer history of evangelical masculinity and militarism ... this wasn't a betrayal."
Macmillan CEO steps back from day-to-day operations
John Sargent, CEO of Macmillan — one of the Big Five book publishing houses — has stepped back from day-to-day operations, after five employees organized an industry-wide protest against racism.
'The Tigers' two-way travelogue is a journey both within and without
Known for her meditative travel memoirs, Mary Morris' wanderings were nearly curtailed by a serious ankle injury. “All the Way to the Tigers” is a passage deep into the broken places that shaped her.