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Talking Volumes

Talking Volumes is back for its 25th season. Join us at the Fitzgerald Theater for four special events with renowned authors, celebrating our anniversary with a special $25 ticket price for MPR members and Star Tribune subscribers. Buy tickets here.

October 8, 2020 9:00 AM

Phil Klay's new 'Missionaries' is an ambitious novel of ideas

Klay won acclaim for his debut story collection “Redeployment,” about the experiences of soldiers. His long awaited novel looks at how America has developed and exported the idea of a war on terror.

by Lily Meyer

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October 8, 2020 6:14 AM

Nobel literature prize awarded to U.S. poet Louise Glück

The 2020 Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to the U.S. poet Louise Glück "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."

by Petra Mayer and Mark Katkov

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October 8, 2020 6:00 AM

'Addie LaRue' is invisible — but memorable

Addie LaRue was born in France 400 years ago — but nobody remembers that. She made a supernatural deal for immortality at the cost of permanent anonymity, so she tries to leave a mark however she can.

by Caitlyn Paxson

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October 7, 2020 7:34 AM

'Let My People Vote' tells of one man's journey to getting 1.4 million back a voice

Desmond Meade rose from addiction, homelessness, and prison to run a campaign to re-enfranchise more than one million Florida voters; it's a tale of hope, persistence, and the power of organizing.

by Martha Anne Toll

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October 7, 2020 1:00 AM

NPR's Tom Gjelten on America's immigration story

NPR reporter Tom Gjelten speaks about America’s immigration history, as part of the Peace and Justice Series hosted by the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth.

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October 6, 2020 12:31 PM

Lenny Kravitz on race, being on the road, and Ruff Ruff the magic dog

Kravitz's new memoir, “Let Love Rule,” follows his childhood and early career. Still touring in his 50s, Kravitz says, "I'm going to continue doing this as long as I can."

by Sam Briger

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October 5, 2020 12:59 PM

After chasing threats abroad, former CIA Chief John Brennan says the risk is at home

The former spy chief has dealt with almost all of the country's major security challenges over the past two decades. In his memoir, “Undaunted,” he directs his ire at President Donald Trump.

by Greg Myre

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October 4, 2020 11:10 AM

Dylan Farrow spins a tale of truth, lies and power in 'Hush'

Dylan Farrow's new young adult novel — based on her own experiences — is about plague-blighted land where a cabal of magical men can steal away your ability to distinguish fact from fantasy.

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

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October 3, 2020 6:04 PM

Pete Buttigieg says there's a 'crisis in trust'

Pete Buttigieg argues that Americans don't trust enough — in the government and in each other. Buttigieg talks with NPR about his book, “Trust: America's Best Chance.”

by Christianna Silva and Michel Martin

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October 3, 2020 6:00 AM

It's not quite dark enough in 'The Midnight Library'

Critic Jason Sheehan says the new novel from Matt Haig — about a mystical library that lets people sample all the ways their lives might have gone — is a little too gentle and straightforward.

by Jason Sheehan

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