Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller

Talking Volumes: Marlon James on his deeply personal novel ‘The Disappearers’

Marlon James new novel, “The Disappearers,” was published just 18 days ago, and already, this deeply personal novel about gay men in Jamaica has been declared “the novel

Author Edwidge Danticat examines what it means to live after trauma in 'Dèy'

In December of 2017, Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat was a mall in south Florida when a loud gunshot broke through the holiday shopping chatter. Believing that a

A new coming-of-age novel by Chang-rae Lee examines how we become who we are

If you remember the first time you left your family to go to summer camp, you probably remember how that time marked you. You leave as a child, but after spending a week

What makes something invasive? A new book explores that, and environmental loss

If you’ve been near a boat landing in Minnesota this summer, you’ve probably seen dire warnings about zebra mussels. The Department of Natural Resources says about five p

Paul Yoon's novel 'Etna' is told from a dog's point of view, thanks to Oscar

There’s a before and an after to Paul Yoon’s writing life, and at the center is Oscar — a floppy, gentle, food-loving, 70-pound yellow Lab. Yoon didn’t grow up with dogs

In search of true wilderness with Cal Flyn

Minnesotans have long debated the meaning of “Up North.” Is it everything north of Duluth, or north of Mille Lacs? Are pine trees and lakes a prerequisite? What about loo

Naturalist Robert Macfarlane on the wonder — and warning — of birds

Every fall, thousands of bird lovers stand far above Lake Superior, on Duluth’s Hawk Ridge, and watch as thousands of raptors soar overhead on their way south. But for

Our road trip series concludes with 'The Last American Road Trip'

When Sarah Kendzior packed up her family for a road trip across America, she made sure her kids kept their eyes wide open. She wanted them to see this country’s wonders a

Lauren Hough road trips across America and finds a 'Monster of a Land'

Lauren Hough has worn many hats. She’s been an Air Force airman, a bartender, a bouncer, a construction laborer, a driver, a barista and a cable guy. But through it all

Why Americans are reading less — and how to pull out of the reading slump

When was the last time you read a book or magazine, or listened to an audiobook? Overall, Americans are reading less. A study last year from the University of Florida a

Big Books and Bold Ideas hits the road. First stop: 'The Road to Tender Hearts'

Road trips are often marked by spontaneity. They offer side quests, junk food, hotel pools and a chance to see the country with fresh eyes. But no road trip is quite as

The extraordinary American history behind the very first baseball All-Star Game

The United States was feeling bleak in 1933. People were still staggering from the economic fallout of the Great Depression. Drought and extreme heat baked much of the

Aired grievances: Robert Parkinson on forefathers' frustrations in 'Tyrants and Rogues'

When asked about the Declaration of Independence, most Americans quote memorable phrases from the preamble. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are cre

Emma Straub celebrates the pleasure of fandom in 'American Fantasy'

Last month, the Wall Street Journal declared this summer to be the era of the “man band.” Those would be boy bands who’ve grown up — think New Kids on the Block, Boys II

Maggie O'Farrell pulls from the mythology of her own family for 'Land'

Between death and emigration, Ireland lost almost a quarter of its population in the mid 1800s to the Great Hunger. Entire villages starved to death after potato blight w

Ann Patchett lauds the romance of friendship in 'Whistler'

When novelist Ann Patchett is on Big Books and Bold Ideas, watch out. She and host Kerri Miller trade quips, stories, theories and book recommendations like two longtime

Is Medea misunderstood?

Has mythology given Medea a bad rap? Has her story been distorted because it was more appealing to portray her as a lusty, vengeful, violent woman married to a golden-boy

Kate Bowler is not living her best life — and she's OK with that

Kate Bowler is officially over being grateful. Not because gratitude doesn’t matter. But because it’s been pushed as the latest iteration in a long series of self-help

Kelly Yang's 'The Take' is an anti-aging thriller

On the surface, the main characters in Kelly Yang’s new novel, “The Take,” have little in common. Ingrid Parker is a rich, white, female movie producer who has paid her

'Five Weeks in the Country' with Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Anderson

Hans Christian Anderson hoped to find a household straight out of a Charles Dickens novel when he visited the Dickens family at their country home in the summer of 1857.