In an interview with NPR, Ford says it was only a couple of years ago that she felt ready to revisit how her life was upended by Brett Kavanaugh's rise to a position on the U.S. Supreme Court.
When Shohini Ghose was studying physics as a kid, she heard certain names repeated over and over. "Einstein, Newton, Schrodinger ... they're all men." Shohini wanted to change that — so she decided to write a book about some of the women scientists missing from her grade school physics textbooks. It's called Her Space, Her Time: How Trailblazing Women Scientists Decoded the Hidden Universe. This episode, she talks to Short Wave host Regina G. Barber about uncovering the women physicists she admires — and how their stories have led her to reflect on her own.
The 2024 presidential election will be a rematch between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden; and with that rematch comes political fanfare, some public apathy and déjà vu. To take a look at the public perception of this repeat race, host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben and NPR White House Correspondent Franco Ordoñez.
Then, Brittany is joined by Vinson Cunningham to discuss his debut novel, Great Expectations. It's a period piece that follows the story of a young man working on an election campaign that echoes that of Obama's 2008 run. Ultimately, it's a novel about belief - both religious and political. Brittany and Vinson discuss American politics as a sort of religion - and why belief in politics has changed so much in the last decade.
To end the show, Brittany shares her thoughts about "Kate Gate" and the mysterious case of royal photoshopping.
One more thing: we are working on a special series for IBAM about the gender divide and we want to talk to YOU. We're looking for people aged 18-24 for a roundtable interview on everything from dating, money, politics, and your future hopes. If you're interested in joining us, email our producers: ibam@npr.org
Prolific writer Percival Everett often skewers different corners of American society. His latest novel James is written from the point of view of the character Jim, from Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn.
Kate Manne tried to shrink her body for years before embracing her size as part of a "natural, normal human variation." She says the fight against fat phobia must start in the doctor's office.
When Dutt was a kid, her family pretended to be rich so no one would suspect their caste identity. In her memoir, she talks of her struggles — and her decision to publicly declare she is a Dalit.
Rod Nordland was diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most lethal form of brain cancer, in 2019. He writes about facing mortality from war and cancer in his new memoir, Waiting for the Monsoon.
According to the United Nations, about ten percent of the world is undernourished. It's a daunting statistic — unless your name is Hannah Ritchie. She's the data scientist behind the new book Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet. It's a seriously big thought experiment: How do we feed everyone on Earth sustainably? And because it's just as much an economically pressing question as it is a scientific one, Darian Woods of The Indicator from Planet Money joins us. With Hannah's help, Darian unpacks how to meet the needs of billions of people without destroying the planet.
Questions or ideas for a future show? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
Charan Ranganath recently wrote an op-ed about President Biden's memory gaffes. He says forgetting is a normal part of aging. His new book is Why We Remember.
In 2021, Sante, who was assigned male at birth, was playing around with a face-altering app and she had a breakthrough. Her new memoir is I Heard Her Call My Name.
Jada Pinkett Smith is the kind of celebrity that makes headlines just by breathing. But looking at those headlines — mostly about her marriage to fellow actor, Will Smith — made host Brittany Luse think that most people have gotten Jada all wrong. A graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts, Jada's best known for her acting, but she's also a producer, musician, and painter. After reading her memoir, Worthy, Brittany noticed the way Jada's artistic mind and process had been overlooked. So, she sat down with Jada to ask about it. They talked about what Jada's painting, what she got out of her time as a rock singer, why she looks at her relationship with Will as a masterpiece, and what she wants for her future.
The Gottmans have been studying marriage and relationships for 40 years. In a new book, Fight Right, they explain how successful couples resolve their conflicts.
First of all, can we stop using the word "liminal"? Bianca Bosker spent five years doing in-depth research for Get the Picture — an irreverent book about "strategic snobbery" in the art world.
Mark Daley always knew the goal was reunification — but he was still devastated when the young boys in his care returned to their birth family. He writes about the experience in his new memoir, Safe.
