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Author Interviews NPR interviews with top authors and the NPR Book Tour, a weekly feature and podcast where leading authors read and discuss their writing. Subscribe to the RSS feed.

Author Interviews

Obituaries

John Mack, Author of Lawrence Book, Dies in London

Dr. John Mack died Tuesday in London, the victim of an auto accident. Dr. Mack, a Harvard professor, wrote A Prince of Our Disorder, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of T.E. Lawrence, or Lawrence of Arabia. Years later, he did controversial research on people who claimed they had been abducted by aliens. NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with a friend and colleague of Dr. Mack, Dr. Robert Jay Lifton of the Harvard Medical School.

John Mack, Author of Lawrence Book, Dies in London

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Texas Journalist Lou Dubose on Tom DeLay

Fresh Air

Dubose is co-author (with Jan Reid) of a new book about House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Delay's nickname — and the name of the book — is The Hammer. DeLay was a small-town Texas exterminator who rose to be the most powerful man in Congress. Dubose was the editor of The Texas Observer for 11 years. He is also co-author, with Molly Ivins of Bushwhacked and Shrub.

Texas Journalist Lou Dubose on Tom DeLay

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Journalist James Fallows

Fresh Air

Fallows is the national correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly. His latest article in the Atlantic is "Bush's Lost Year." Fallows has written seven books, including Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy, and is a commentator on National Public Radio. His articles have appeared in The Industry Standard, Slate, The New York Times Magazine and other publications.

Journalist James Fallows

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World

Troops Encouraged to Write of War Experiences

Prominent authors such as Tom Clancy are holding workshops at military bases, in an effort to encourage military personnel -- especially those who've served in Iraq and Afghanistan -- to record their thoughts about war and peace. NPR's Adam Hochberg reports.

Troops Encouraged to Write of War Experiences

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Books

'Fallen Order' Tells of the Rise and Fall of a Brotherhood

NPR's Liane Hansen talks with historian Karen Liebreich about her new book Fallen Order. Lieberich's unprecedented access to the Vatican's Secret Archives brings to life a sexual abuse scandal that surrounded the Catholic Church's Patron Saint of Education over 400 years ago.

'Fallen Order' Tells of the Rise and Fall of a Brotherhood

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Books

Office Anthropology: '60 People to Avoid'

NPR's Liane Hansen speaks with Josh Aiello, author of 60 People to Avoid at the Water Cooler, a tongue-in-cheek anthropological study of annoying corporate creatures, including The Pompous General Partner, the Condescending IT Guy, and the Incontinent CEO.

Office Anthropology: '60 People to Avoid'

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Books

Professional Apologist in Novel 'Eating Crow'

NPR's Liane Hansen interviews author and journalist Jay Rayner about his new book Eating Crow, a political satire about a restaurant critic whose review results in the suicide of a prominent British chef. When the critic is made to apologize to the chef's family, the world takes notice.

Professional Apologist in Novel 'Eating Crow'

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Books

Doug Fine: 'Not Really an Alaskan Mountain Man'

NPR's Jennifer Ludden talks to aspiring outdoorsman and occasional NPR contributor Doug Fine about his new book, Not Really an Alaskan Mountain Man. It's a comic account of five years spent learning to survive in Alaska.

Doug Fine: 'Not Really an Alaskan Mountain Man'

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Pop Culture

First Novel a 'Valentine' to Murdered Grandparents

Liza Ward's first novel is a fictionalization of the infamous 1958 Nebraska killing spree by Charles Starkweather. Ward talks to NPR's Liane Hansen about her compelling connection to the events.

First Novel a 'Valentine' to Murdered Grandparents

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Books

Book on French Slackers a Big Hit

A new book by Corinne Maier, Bonjour Paresse, or "Hello Laziness," has become an overnight sensation in France. Maier's book celebrates calculated loafing in the workplace -- a la Dilbert. Eleanor Beardsley reports.

Book on French Slackers a Big Hit

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Books

Author's Debut Novel a Story of Family Wanderlust

Former screenwriter George Hagen talks with NPR's Scott Simon about his first novel, The Laments. The book follows a rootless family as it seeks out a way of life in Africa, England and suburban New Jersey. The story is loosely based on Hagen's family's travels as he was growing up.

Author's Debut Novel a Story of Family Wanderlust

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From Our Listeners

John Snow, Father of Epidemiology

A London physician by the name of John Snow mapped out the spread of a cholera outbreak in the city 150 years ago. Realizing that a common factor among the victims was use of a particular communal water pump, Snow removed the pump handle -- and the outbreak subsided. Because of his insight, Snow is now regarded by many as the father of the science of epidemiology. We look back at Snow's life, and at the development of epidemiology.

John Snow, Father of Epidemiology

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