Books
Langston Hughes’ ‘Ways of White Folks’ given a grand stage at Glen Foerd
The rooms of Glen Foerd, in a 19th century summer retreat on the Delaware River, is the setting for Hughes’ “The Ways of White Folks.”
1 year ago
Listen 1:49Russell Banks, praised author of ‘Cloudsplitter,’ dies at 82
Banks was a self-styled heir to such 19th century writers as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Walt Whitman, aspiring to high art and a deep grasp of the country’s spirit.
1 year ago
Founded in 1959, the shop has long been a resource for Afrocentric literature, gifts, and discourse.
1 year ago
Will you read the Jan. 6 report cover-to-cover? These publishers hope so.
The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is expected to drop their report on Dec. 21.
1 year ago
New initiative challenges Philly third graders to read 20 books in 20 weeks
Less than 30% of third graders in Philly public schools scored proficient or higher in reading last school year. A new program challenges students to read more at home.
1 year ago
Listen 1:28Bonus Interview: Heather Havrilesky on the ‘Divine Tedium of Marriage’
Ask Polly advice columnist Heather Havrilesky's book 'Foreverland,' an honest and savagely funny examination of modern marriage.
Air Date: November 12, 2022 10:00 am
Listen 49:15Athenaeum of Philadelphia reopens after $1.6 million renovations
Despite remaining scaffolding, the historic building in Washington Square reopens to the public on Monday.
1 year ago
Researcher Michael Slepian collected the secrets of 50,000 people for 'The Secret Life of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships, and Who We Are.'
Air Date: November 2, 2022 10:00 am
Bonus Episode: Finding the Mother Tree
In this bonus episode, we talk about the social lives of old trees in the forest and research that has changed our understanding of trees and forest ecology.
Air Date: October 29, 2022 10:00 am
Listen 49:15Vampire panic and the undying legacy of ‘Dracula’
Bram Stoker's tale of Count Dracula turns 125 this year. A look at the famous literature, its author, and the vampire panic in the 19th century spurred by deadly Tuberculosis.
Air Date: October 28, 2022 10:00 am
Listen 49:15School libraries link up with Delaware Library Catalog to provide broader access to books
Library collections at Delaware schools just got a lot bigger as students can now link to the statewide library system to access books and other materials.
1 year ago
Report: Salman Rushdie lives, but loses use of eye and hand
Salman Rushdie's agent says the author has lost sight in one eye and the use of a hand as he recovers from an attack by a man who rushed the stage at an August literary event.
1 year ago
Bonus Episode: The plant-based revolution
From the archives, Marty's interview with Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet, for the 50th anniversary of her groundbreaking book.
Air Date: October 15, 2022 8:00 am
Listen 49:14Demand soars for kids’ books addressing violence, trauma
Sales of books for young people on violence, grief, and emotions have increased for nine straight years, with nearly six million copies sold in 2021.
2 years ago
The scientific race to defeat a deadly virus
'Breathless' tells the story of the worldwide scientific quest to understand and trace the origins of Covid-19 and develop treatments to fight the deadly virus.
Air Date: October 11, 2022 10:00 am
Listen 49:29