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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.

May 17, 2019 2:48 PM

Herman Wouk, 'The Jackie Robinson of Jewish-American fiction,' dies at 103

Wouk was famous for writing "The Winds of War," "Marjorie Morningstar" and "The Caine Mutiny," which won a Pulitzer Prize. He also helped popularize themes that writers like Philip Roth later tackled.

by Rose Friedman

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May 17, 2019 3:27 AM

Where myth, magical realism and women's bodies mix

"The stories are really inventive, they're often horrifying, beautifully lyrical, just different than anything I've read in a really long time," says bookseller Jen Murvin.

by Tracy Mumford

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May 17, 2019 12:00 AM

Friendship keeps you human in 'Rules for Visiting'

Jessica Francis Kane's new novel follows a prickly, 40-something gardener who -- inspired by the friendless fate of Beowulf's monstrous Grendel -- decides to reconnect with four of her oldest friends.

by Ilana Masad

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May 16, 2019 12:00 AM

'Middlegame' makes mathematical magic

Seanan McGuire's new standalone novel stars twins: Roger is good at words and Dodger is good at math -- and both of them find themselves caught up in a shadowy alchemical plan for world domination.

by Jason Sheehan

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May 15, 2019 12:00 AM

'A Thousand Small Sanities' is a lesson in understanding liberalism

By showing the impact it's had in the past, Adam Gopnik presents liberalism not only as a moral adventure but also as a necessity in an age of resurging autocracy and rampant bigotry.

by Gabino Iglesias

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May 15, 2019 12:00 AM

Karen Russell proves she's a true original with 'Orange World'

Russell's new story collection encompasses everything from a boy in love with a bog body to a woman trying to get out of a bargain with the devil -- it's unlike anything you've ever read before.

by Michael Schaub

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May 14, 2019 12:00 AM

In 'Unspeakable,' a journalist gives silence an investigative treatment

As a teenager, Harriet Shawcross retreated into silence for a year. As an adult, she set out to understand why people speak, and why they don't, in a new book.

by Ailsa Chang

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May 14, 2019 12:00 AM

In 'Once More We Saw Stars,' grief and love together

Jayson Greene's young daughter died in a tragic random accident; his new memoir chronicles how he and his wife got to a place where they understood they could still experience joy.

by Lynn Neary

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May 13, 2019 7:05 AM

Lindsey Vonn memoir 'Rise: My Story' coming next year

The retired alpine skiing champion will describe her "epic journey" from childhood in Minnesota to international fame; her achievements, including 82 World Cup wins and three Olympic medals; and the injuries ranging from fractures near her left knee joint to a broken arm, that made her decide to quit.

by The Associated Press

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May 12, 2019 3:20 PM

Author Rick Atkinson turns his gaze to the American Revolution

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

by Scott Simon

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