The Thread® - Books and Literary News

The Thread® is your source for book recommendations and other literary news.

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Big Books and Bold Ideas is a weekly series hosted by Kerri Miller every Friday at 11 a.m., featuring conversations about books and other literary ideas. Listen to Big Books and Bold Ideas here.

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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.

August 14, 2019 8:50 AM

In 'An American Sunrise,' Joy Harjo speaks with a timeless compassion

The poet laureate's collection tells a tale of a fierce and ongoing fight for sovereignty, integrity, and basic humanity. It's a plea that Americans take responsibility for what's done in our names.

by Craig Morgan Teicher

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August 13, 2019 2:23 PM

'The Yellow House' connects place, memory and self-knowledge

Sarah Broom's childhood house is the fulcrum for her memoir about her large and complex family. But perhaps more important, it stands in for the countless ways America has failed African Americans.

by Martha Anne Toll

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August 13, 2019 9:48 AM

'Kochland' explores how the famous brother duo made their money

The Koch brothers' wide-ranging influence is no secret. But rather than focusing on how they spend their money, Christopher Leonard presents a richly reported tale of how they got it.

by Scott Horsley

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August 12, 2019 10:13 AM

In 'The Mosquito,' Humans Face A Predator More Deadly Than The Rest

Timothy C. Winegard has written a well-researched work of narrative nonfiction that tells a history of the world through the role mosquitoes — and mosquito-borne illnesses — have played in it.

by Gabino Iglesias

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August 12, 2019 9:00 AM

Quiet, surreal drama — and disappearing objects — in 'The Memory Police'

Yoko Ogawa's novel takes place on a small island were objects — flowers, photographs, boats — are disappearing, and the mysterious "memory police" work to make sure they're eternally forgotten.

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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August 12, 2019 6:00 AM

A novel concept: Silent book clubs offer introverts a space to socialize

When the bell rings, it's reading time. At over 70 chapters around the world, people gather at Silent Book Clubs to read whatever they like, as long as it's in silence.

by Josh Axelrod

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August 12, 2019 4:00 AM

Former Charlottesville mayor shares painful lessons from fight against hate

In 2017, Mike Signer faced a small-town leader's nightmare: a racist rally that spiraled out of control and ended in bloodshed. Two years later, Signer is on a mission of education — and atonement.

by Hannah Allam

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August 11, 2019 9:00 AM

'Mitz' the marmoset was definitely not afraid of Virginia Woolf

The success of Sigrid Nunez' The Friend sparked the reissue of this early work, also about a beloved pet — but Mitz the marmoset was real, and she belonged to Leonard and Virginia Woolf in the 1930s.

by Heller McAlpin

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August 11, 2019 8:19 AM

The Pinkneys are a picture-book perfect, author-illustrator couple

Author Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrator Brian Pinkney have been together for 30 years and collaborated on nearly 20 books. "It's fun to work with the one you love," Andrea says.

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Beth Novey and Samantha Balaban

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August 9, 2019 4:08 PM

A very different dragon tale

Think less magic, more Victorian-era memoir. That’s the twist on this fantasy series following the world’s most respected dragon expert.

by Tracy Mumford

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