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'You Didn't Hear This From Me' is Kelsey McKinney's gossip bible Mar 04, 2025

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Kelsey McKinney has built her career on gossip. The co-creator and former host of the popular podcast Normal Gossip has been interested in the topic since her upbringing in the Evangelical church, where she was taught that talking about others is a sin. Now, she's out with a new book, You Didn't Hear This From Me, which argues that gossip is a natural, morally-neutral social tool. In today's episode, McKinney joins NPR's Juana Summers for a conversation that touches on the author's religious upbringing, the relationship between gossip and misinformation, and reality TV as an opportunity for social learning.
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In 'Stone Yard Devotional,' a woman abandons modern life for a religious community Mar 03, 2025

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In Charlotte Wood's Stone Yard Devotional, an unnamed narrator renounces modern life in Sydney, retreating to a cloistered religious community in her hometown. But soon after, a series of three visitations causes the narrator to rethink the choice she's made. In today's episode, Wood speaks with NPR's Ari Shapiro about the novel, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2024. They discuss Wood's decision to withhold judgement of her character's actions, the biblical nature of the story's disruptions, and Australia's position at the forefront of the climate crisis.
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Two James Baldwin experts break down his early fiction and political writing Feb 28, 2025

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To mark the end of Black History Month, we're revisiting two conversations about James Baldwin that first aired last summer for his 100th birthday. First, NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with McKinley Melton – associate professor of Africana Studies at Rhodes College – about Baldwin's first novel, Go Tell It On the Mountain. Melton says he sees the work as an autobiographical revisitation of the author's own childhood, filled with all that Baldwin wished he knew at 14. Then, professor and novelist Jesmyn Ward joins Limbong to discuss The Fire Next Time. The nonfiction work contains two of Baldwin's political essays, the first of which is written as a letter to Baldwin's 14-year-old nephew.
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The authors of 'Pseudoscience' explore and debunk your favorite conspiracy theories Feb 27, 2025

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Strange stories are often used to fill gaps in human knowledge. But why do people love bizarre explanations for the unexplained? Dr. Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen look to answer this in their new book, Pseudoscience: An Amusing History of Crackpot Ideas and Why We Love Them. In today's episode, Kang and Pedersen speak with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about some of the most popular conspiracies, being careful about which ones to indulge in, and the dangers of being misinformed.
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Irish poet Pádraig Ó Tuama writes and reads poetry that speaks to the human condition Feb 26, 2025

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Irish poet Pádraig Ó Tuama cataloged spreadsheets of poems to help create his new anthology, 44 Poems on Being with Each Other. The collection features writing from a variety of poets as well as reflections from Ó Tuama on the nuances of the human condition. Ó Tuama is also out with his own poetry collection, Kitchen Hymns. In today's episode, he speaks with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly about poetry that reflects complex emotions and about his background in theology.
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In 'Talk to Me,' the grandson of a former Haitian president uncovers family secrets Feb 25, 2025

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In 1957, a labor leader named Daniel Fignolé was the president of Haiti for 19 days. Just two weeks after his inauguration, he was forced to sign a resignation letter as part of a U.S.-backed coup. But growing up, Rich Benjamin – Fignolé's grandson – didn't know anything about his grandfather's political career. The cultural anthropologist says his family, especially his mother, erected a "wall of silence" around him. A new memoir, Talk to Me, is Benjamin's attempt to fill in these gaps in his family history. In today's episode, the author speaks with NPR's A Martínez about Fignolé's work with labor unions, state-sanctioned silence, and the State Department documents that helped Benjamin piece together his grandfather's story.
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Mark Greaney takes on geopolitics in the latest installment of the Gray Man series Feb 24, 2025

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Mark Greaney is the author of the Gray Man series, a collection of espionage novels that chronicle the adventures of ex-CIA operative Court Gentry. The latest addition, Midnight Black, follows Gentry as he tries to save the woman he loves from Russian captivity. Greaney is known for conducting extensive research on the elements that make it into his writing. In today's episode, he speaks with NPR's Andrew Limbong about his trip to Russia several years ago, before the latest invasion into Ukraine, and how photos and videos from that trip helped him make his writing realistic.
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New books from Reid Hoffman and Bill Gates look at tech revolutions past and future Feb 21, 2025

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Reid Hoffman has invested in AI for years. The LinkedIn co-founder said he used AI to vet his new book, Superagency, written with Greg Beato, which makes an optimistic case for an AI-powered future. In today's episode, Hoffman joins NPR's Steve Inskeep for a conversation about the book that touches on his decision to back Kamala Harris for president in 2024 and on his falling out with Elon Musk. Then, Bill Gates joins NPR's Scott Detrow for a conversation about his new memoir Source Code. Much of Gates' writing has focused on the future – but here he reflects on his early life, from his childhood to the birth of Microsoft. He speaks with Detrow about the death of Gates' high school best friend and the opportunity he saw in personal computing.
The Gates Foundation is a financial supporter of NPR.
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In 'Idle Grounds,' a pack of children searches the woods for their missing cousin Feb 20, 2025

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When a young child goes missing at a family gathering, a pack of cousins sets out into the woods to find her. Idle Grounds follows this group of children as they search their late grandmother's property and wonder whether something sinister might lurk there. Krystelle Bamford says her new novel dips into the New England Gothic genre, inspired by the darkness that bubbles underneath the daylight of the adult world. In today's episode, Bamford speaks with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about the author's own New England upbringing, the magic and mystery of childhood, and the potential dangers of nostalgia.
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A new memoir from Ira Madison III is more than just 'Pure Innocent Fun' Feb 19, 2025

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TV writer, culture critic and podcast host Ira Madison III was not just one of the only Black students at his high school, he was also one of the only gay kids. In his new memoir, Pure Innocent Fun, Madison writes about how cultural artifacts became more than just a source of entertainment - they became a way to feel connected to others. In today's episode, Madison speaks with NPR's Juana Summers about growing up without many queer adults to turn to, and how Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a way for young queer kids to feel seen.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
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