AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

Maurice Sendak wrote and/or illustrated more than 100 books during his career. He received a National Book Award, a Caldecott Medal, the Hans Christian Andersen Award for children's book illustration, and the National Medal of Arts.

Fresh Air Remembers Author Maurice Sendak

Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, whose classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are became a perennial and award-winning favorite for generations of children, died on Tuesday. He was 83. Fresh Air remembers Sendak with excerpts from several interviews.

AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

Julia Alvarez is the author of novels like How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and nonfiction books like Once Upon a Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the USA.

'A Wedding In Haiti': Making Good On A Promise

When Julia Alvarez told a lonely Haitian boy that she would attend his wedding someday, she didn't expect that she would be held to her word. Her new memoir tells the story of her journey to a remote village in Haiti to make good on her promise.

Breasts: Bigger And More Vulnerable To Toxins

Science writer Florence Williams' new book examines how breasts are changing.

Stevenage: A Place Where You Can't Be From

Journalist Gary Younge has written an essay on Stevenage in the literary magazine Granta.

Lessons In Counterterrorism From The Octopus

The other organisms on the planet have ways of protecting themselves; why not borrow a few ideas?

Three Pilgrimages To Gain 'A Sense Of Direction'

Gideon Lewis-Kraus didn't know what to do with his life, so he took three very long walks.

History, Heartbreak And 'The Chemistry Of Tears'

The hero and the heroine of Peter Carey's new novel are separated by 150 years.

The 12 Days Of Disaster That Made Modern Chicago

In mid-July of 1919, just about everything that could go wrong in Chicago did.

How A 'Daily Show' Writer Grew Up Funny

Lizz Winstead has always looked at life a little differently. She's written a book of essays that takes readers through the different chapters of her life: growing up, becoming a comic and helping to create The Daily Show. - READ MORE

'In One Person': A Tangled Gender-Bender

Desire can have a profound effect on young adults during their formative years. Novelist John Irving turns 70 this year, and his latest novel is a coming-of-age story about loss, identity and AIDS — told by a bisexual narrator named Billy Abbott. - READ MORE

Deford: How Sportswriting Has Changed 'Over Time'

NPR sports commentator Frank Deford says he has always been "more interested in the people than in who was winning the games." In his new memoir, Over Time, he says it used to be easier for writers to get close to athletes. - READ MORE

'Freeman': A Liberated Slave In Search Of Family

The end of the Civil War marked a pivotal moment for slaves in America, but newfound freedom arrived as a bittersweet victory. Longing to find their displaced families, freed slaves placed classified ads in newspapers. In his new novel, Leonard Pitts Jr. explores the chaos of the era through a love story. - READ MORE

Jonathan Lethem On The Song That Puts The Fear Into 'Fear Of Music'

As a 15-year-old growing up in Brooklyn, Jonathan Lethem first heard the album by Talking Heads that has haunted him ever since. - READ MORE

Stand Up, Walk Around, Even Just For '20 Minutes'

New York Times "Phys Ed" columnist Gretchen Reynolds has some simple advice for staying healthy: Stand up. Move around. In her new book, The First 20 Minutes, she explains the hazards a sedentary lifestyle, and details some of the surprisingly simple ways to stay fit. - READ MORE

Creating A New Vision Of Islam In America

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf was once the lead cleric associated with the proposed Islamic community center some critics called the "Ground Zero Mosque." In his new book, Moving the Mountain, Rauf calls for moderate Muslims to step up and marginalize the voices of extremists. - READ MORE

'Wicked' Author On His Mentor, Maurice Sendak

Beloved children's writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak died Tuesday at the age of 83. Melissa Block talks to author and friend Gregory Maguire to remember the man behind such classic bedtime stories as Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen. - READ MORE

Can Mo' Money Really Mean Mo' Problems?

Many people believe money can solve all their problems. But Richard Watts, a financial and legal advisor to the very rich, says there's some truth to the saying, "more money, more problems." Watts speaks with host Michel Martin about his new book, Fables of Fortune: What Rich People Have That You Don't Want. - READ MORE

'Drift': Rachel Maddow On Why We Go To War

In her new book, MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow invokes Thomas Jefferson to argue for limited government — at least in the case of the military. She argues that sometimes we got to war because we've invested so much in military strength. - READ MORE