Andrew Limbong

We've all been there. A major movie is mentioned, you shrug, sheepishly, and someone says, "I can't believe you've never seen that!" Today, we make a dent in our own lists of classic films we somehow had not yet gotten to, including Erin Brockovich, Flower Drum Song, Enter the Dragon and Raging Bull.

NPR's Life Kit has tips on how to manage lending money to friends and loved ones.

Chanel Miller talks about her new book for children, "Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All." Set in New York City, it's about a little girl and her friend who reunite people with their lost socks.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal tells NPR that it's crucial for Congress to pass a $60 billion aid package to successfully defend itself against Russia.

Simon & Schuster, one of the biggest names in publishing, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. How will the company reckon with industry challenges?

Investigators are trying to understand why a massive cargo ship collided with the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore. Six people are now presumed dead in what investigators believe was an accident.

Matthew Urango, the singer-songwriter and activist known as Cola Boyy, was born with spina bifida. The musician who made crowds dance with his 1970s-influenced disco pop has died at the age of 34.

Amazon is crowded with copycat books that appear to have been written by AI — and they're attached to real authors who didn't write them. (Story first aired on Morning Edition on March 13, 2023.)

Prolific writer Percival Everett often skewers American social customs. His latest novel James is written from the point of view of the character Jim, from Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn.

Authors have long had to deal with publishers trying to trick customers into buying the wrong book on Amazon. But writers say the issue has gotten much worse with the proliferation of generative AI.

UCLA's annual report on Hollywood diversity finds a mixed bag. While people of color are being hired more in key categories, the study shows a film industry disinvesting in women.

Hugo Awards celebrate the best in science fiction literature. Leaked emails suggest organizers of last year's show in China tampered with votes and excluded potential nominees for political reasons.

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" is an unsparing look at a dysfunctional marriage. A new book argues that the film still has a lot to say about the institution of marriage.

NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with Yolanda Renee King, granddaughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, about her new children's book, We Dream A World.

Maurice Hines, dancer and choreographer — and evangelist for the art of tap dancing — died Friday at age 80. Hines and his brother, the famed Gregory Hines, helped keep tap in the public eye.

Ana Ofelia Murgia was best known in the U.S. as the voice of Mama Coco in the Disney Pixar movie. But in Mexico, she was a star in theater, television and film.

Some 673 books have been removed from classrooms in Orange County, Fla., this year over concerns they could violate a new state law related to inappropriate content.

A law fighting against so-called book bans in Illinois goes into effect in 2024. As similar bans pop up elsewhere, librarians and activists are keeping a close eye on the impact the law will have.

NPR's Books We Love guide is available at NPR.org — it's an annual roundup of NPR staff and critics' favorite books of 2023. There are a number of funny books that made this year's list.

The 2022 novella The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt is both a psychological thriller AND a satirical critique of the publishing industry. It's also sold out everywhere.