The Sound of Books

Today on The Sound of Books with Fred Kasten — The Darlings, the widely-acclaimed debut novel by Cristina Alger, set against the 2008 financial crisis.

Today on The Sound of Books with Fred Kasten, the new book from New Orleans native and University of North Carolina English and American Studies professor Ruth Salvaggio, Hearing Sappho in New Orleans: The Call of Poetry from Congo Square to the Ninth Ward.

Today on The Sound of Books with Fred Kasten, the widely praised new novel from New York Times best-selling author Joshilyn Jackson A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty.

This week on The Reading Life: Biographer and memoirist Rich Cohen, whose new book is The Fish that Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King, about New Orleanian Sam Zemurray.

Then we’ll hear Fred Kasten’s Sound of Books interview with Steve Coll, author of Private Empire: Exxon Mobil and American Power, and Susan will have some thoughts on reading The Times-Picayune.

Today on The Sound of Books with Fred Kasten, the widely-praised new book from two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Steve Coll: Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power.

Today on The Sound of Books with Fred Kasten, the acclaimed new biography of New Orleans music legend and icon Ernie K-Doe by writer, producer, folklorist  and drummer Ben Sandmel: Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans.

Today on The Sound of Books with Fred Kasten: critically-acclaimed art writer Philip Palmedo's lavishly illustrated new biography of New Orleans sculptor Lin Emery — titled simply Lin Emery...

Today on The Sound of Books with Fred Kasten, part three of our three-part series featuring writers who are appearing at this year's Tennessee Williams Festival. Today we're spotlighting DeLisle, Mississippi writer Jesmyn Ward, author of the 2011 National Book Award winning novel Salvage the Bones.

Today on "The Sound of Books" with Fred Kasten, part two of a three-part series spotlighting writers appearing at this year's Tennessee Williams Festival. We're featuring a conversation with "Ask Amy" advice columnist and frequent Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me panelist Amy Dickinson about her bestselling memoir "The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them."

Today on "The Sound of Books" with Fred Kasten -- part one of a three-part series featuring writers who will appear at the 2012 Tennessee Williams Festival -- spotlighting the new memoir by three-time Oscar nominated actress Piper Laurie, "Learning to Live Out Loud."