Scott Simon

Corny "dad jokes" are an outgrowth of the deep and lifelong bond between parents and children.

One day, Toby Fleishman's ex-wife drops off the kids and disappears. Author Taffy Brodesser-Akner says too many people are "locked into" marriage; her new novel explores wedlock, and what comes after.

A new Netflix series resurrects the house at Barbary Lane, with characters reprised by Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis. Showrunner Lauren Morelli says she aimed to expand the range of queer stories.

Nancy Bass Wyden, the Strand's owner, is protesting New York City's decision to preserve the bookstore as a historic city landmark. She thinks the move will hurt, not help her business.

A new television series about the Central Park Five paints an unflattering portrait of Linda Fairstein and has prompted calls to boycott her books. Her publisher dropped her Friday.

A German official said that because of a recent rise in attacks, he couldn't recommend Jews wear the skullcap "at every time and place." So daily newspaper Bild created a do-it-yourself paper kippah.

Amanda Gustafson and Eric Olsen of Swale's song "If You Get Lost" is a standout entry from this year's Tiny Desk Contest.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, written as a letter from a son to his immigrant mother who cannot read, aims "to speak to a rich American tradition of autobiography," its author says.

Laura Barnett wrote a novel about an aging singer-songwriter sizing up her life in 16 tracks. Then she approached musician Kathryn Williams, who created the book's original soundtrack.

"I think we should have that conversation" is this era's preferred nonanswer for politicians trying to avoid tricky subjects, NPR's Scott Simon says.

Therapy dogs at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School got their own yearbook page this year.

A new survey says 51% of adults in America take a dip in swimming pools instead of showering or bathing. But NPR's Scott Simon says we should be suspicious of this pool poll, and perhaps all polls.

This week, the U.N. issued the summary of a report warning of unprecedented declines in biodiversity. Scott Simon makes the case for humankind to assume responsibility for protecting the vulnerable.

A 9-year-old who attended a performance of "Masonic Funeral Music" at the Boston Symphony Hall last Sunday expressed his exuberance at the end.

The comedian and former talk show host's new book is a collection of essays about what he's learned over decades of being a bouncer, a drummer, a TV personality — and a recovering alcoholic.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian says there are lessons from the Revolution that hold true even today, 244 years after the shot heard 'round the world.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer revolutionized talk around sex in America. At 90, she's letting her own walls come down in a new documentary. As a Holocaust refugee, she says it's her duty to speak up.

After the recent shooting at University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NPR's Scott Simon reflects on how common school shootings have become in the United States.

Why have several Democrats decided just to run for president, and not bother to try for a Senate seat first? Anne Caprara, who used to work at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, explains.

Werner Trei, 71, is in hospice care in Colorado. He was given numerous awards for helping save 100 Vietnamese civilians when he was a U.S. Army Ranger. Before he dies, he'd like to be a U.S. citizen.