Mpr News With Kerri Miller

Dani Shapiro knows a thing or two about family secrets. Her early novels center around identity and family history. Her 2019 memoir, “Inheritance,” beautifully chronicles what happened after she discovered, at age 54, that the man she considers her dad was not her biological father. That discovery spawned a popular podcast that just kicked off its eighth season, “Family Secrets,” which features guests who’ve also stumbled across a family secret. So it naturally flows that her new novel, “Signal Fires,” returns the to same theme. This time, a secret both bonds and cripples an entire family. Shapiro skillfully follows the Wilf’s outward success and inward disintegration as she hops through time, playing with ideas of change, shame, grief and interconnectedness.Those same themes anchor the discussion she and MPR News host Kerri Miller had at Talking Volumes. Shapiro was on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater on Oct. 28 for a thoughtful and insightful conversation about regret, shame, seasons of life — and how she h

Dani Shapiro uses her memoir, "Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage" as a way to explore the motivations behind marriage."When I was writing 'Hourglass' I thought of it as an inquiry," Shapiro said to MPR host Kerri Miller during a 2017 conversation. Shapiro was thoughtful in her characterization of her marriage, but not dishonest. Her husband is also a writer, and she reported that she would read him pages of her manuscript every day.One day, he said to her, "I'm an OK guy, but you're not being hard enough on me."And she knew exactly what he meant."I knew he was right. I was being too careful. I was being circumspect, and circumspect does not make for good literature ever," said Shapiro.Enjoy this throwback conversation between Shapiro and Miller as you prepare for this Friday’s Big Books and Bold Ideas, which will feature Shapiro on stage for Talking Volumes, discussing her new novel, “Signal Fires.” Guest: Dani Shapiro is a bestselling novelist and memoi

Celeste Ng’s “Little Fires Everywhere” was a best-selling novel, even before it became a hit series for Hulu. Her new novel, “Our Missing Hearts,” is also receiving critical acclaim. It delves into the power of intellectual freedom in an authoritarian world and the strong bonds of family in a society steeped in fear. This week, on Big Books and Bold Ideas, you’ll hear Ng on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater with host Kerri Miller for the second Talking Volumes event of 2022. They were joined by musical guest, Meghan Kreidler.

In 2020, author Sarah Broom joined the pandemic season of Talking Volumes by talking via Zoom with host Kerri Miller about her book “The Yellow House.” The memoir, which speaks poignantly of the pull of home and family against the backdrop of a shotgun house in New Orleans East, was hailed as both brilliant and haunting.Enjoy this interview as you get ready for this coming Friday’s Big Books and Bold Ideas, which will feature novelist Celeste Ng on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater for the latest Talking Volumes conversation. Guest: Sarah M. Broom is the New York Times best-selling author of “The Yellow House,” which published in 2019. To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above. Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS.Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations. 

In January 1942, a young Black man from Kansas wrote a letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Courier, the nation’s largest Black newspaper at the time. He poignantly asked the questions that many Black men also asked while serving in a segregated military during World War II.“Should I sacrifice my life to live half American?” wrote James G. Thompson. “Will things be better for the next generation in the peace to follow? Would it be demanding too much to demand full citizenship rights in exchange for the sacrificing of my life? Is the kind of America I know worth defending?”That letter echoed in the mind of historian Matthew Delmont. The title of his new book, “Half American” was inspired by Thompson’s letter. In it, he painfully recounts what Black service members of the day faced as they fought in a segregated military. During World War II, Black Americans were inspired by the idea of a double victory — to defeat not only the fascism abroad, but also racism at home. But the idea of equality was dismissed by

Who decides history? What gets passed on, and what gets passed over?That is the question that historians are always plumbing. On this week’s special edition of Big Books and Bold Ideas, host Kerri Miller replayed portions of conversation she’s had with writers who’ve drawn indelible portraits of American history. You’ll hear Stacy Schiff, whose 2015 book “The Witches” delves into what really happened during the Salem Witch Trials. There’s also David Wright Faladé, who novelized the true story of an all-Black brigade during the Civil War that was commanded by a formerly enslaved man. And finally, the incomparable Ron Chernow, who was at Talking Volumes in 2017 to talk about his book, “Grant” — but Miller couldn’t resist asking about “Hamilton,” his book that inspired Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit musical.Guests: Stacy Schiff is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of many books, including “Cleopatra” and “The Witches.” David Wright Faladé teaches at the University of Illinois and is the author of “Black Cloud Rising.”R

Writers come to the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul from all over the world for Talking Volumes. The experience is always intimate and energetic. But hometown authors might have the most fun. For this special edition of Big Books and Bold Ideas, host Kerri Miller takes a look back at some of her favorite on-stage conversations with Minnesota writers. They include Dessa, who appeared at Talking Volumes in 2018 to talk about her memoir, “My Own Devices,” William Kent Krueger, who was the finale guest in 2021, and Kate DiCamillo, who also appeared in 2021 and brought the house down several times with her witty banter. You can still get tickets to the 2022 season of Talking Volumes. Karen Armstrong kicked it off in September. Coming up later this month and in November: Celeste Ng, Dani Shapiro and Ross Gay. Guests:Dessa is a singer, rapper and writer based in Minneapolis. Her memoir, “My Own Devices,” was published in 2018.William Kent Krueger is an novelist and crime writer, best known for his series of novels fe

Boyah J. Farah spent his earliest years in Somalia, surrounded by family and feeling free. War shattered that idyllic state, and forced his mother to walk her children to safety at a refugee camp in Kenya and eventually, to a new life in a suburb outside of Boston. It was traumatic, but Farah was grateful for the respite. Since a young boy, he had been infatuated with America, and now he was here, where the grass seemed to be miraculously short without the intervention of goats, and the houses were equipped with both cold and hot water. His family assimilated. He didn’t think much about his skin color. As an immigrant and English-language learner, he already knew he was different. He experienced freedom again once he started to drive. But that transition also revealed America’s racist underbelly. In his new, poetic memoir, "America Made Me a Black Man,” Farah recounts his frustration at learning that in America, Black people are never really free. On this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas, Farah joined MPR

As a child, Emily Bernard worried she was not black enough. As an adult, she wonders whether she's too black for America today.Her new book is built on that kind of nuance. "Black is the Body" is a collection of first-person essays that explore vast themes like race, identity and trauma — through the personal details of her own life. She was born in the South, lives now in the Northeast, and is married to a white man."Blackness is an art, not a science," writes Bernard. "It is a paradox: intangible and visceral; a situation and a story." She believes that approaching these volatile topics through stories, not lectures, will create a safe place that nurtures vulnerability — and vulnerability is needed for true understanding. MPR News host Kerri Miller spoke with Bernard in 2019 about the complexity of being black in America today. It’s a fitting prelude to this week’s upcoming Big Books and Bold Ideas conversation with Boyah J. Farah about his journey from a refugee camp in So

Lucrezia de’ Medici was only 13 when she was forced to marry Alfonso II d’Estej, the Duke of Ferrara; just 15 when she joined the court of her new husband. By age 16, she was dead. Only her officials portraits survive her. Many years later, Robert Browning wrote a poem based on one of those paintings, which loosely fictionalizes the short marriage of Lucrezia and the possibility that she was murdered by her husband. Maggie O’Farrell goes one step further, and imagines the young girl’s whole life, including the short time she spent as a wife in 16th century Italy. In O’Farrell’s new novel, “The Marriage Portrait,” Lucrezia knows her sole job is to produce an heir for the duke. But when no heir is forthcoming, and the duke grows increasingly unsatisfied, she worries that he might kill her to make way for someone more fertile. Could she be right? Or is her bored and quick mind simply connecting dots that aren’t there? “The Marriage Portrait” deftly tells Lucrezia’s story through her own lens and perspective. Thi

Maggie O’Farrell’s last novel, “Hamnet,” the fictional story of William Shakespeare’s son who died at age 11, was an international best-seller. Her new novel, “The Marriage Portrait” also delves into history. O’Farrell was struck by Robert Browning’s poem, “My Last Duchess,” which itself was inspired by a painting of a young Italian woman who died in 1561, at the age of 16, just a year after she was married to the Duke of Ferrara. But did she die? Or was she poisoned?“The Marriage Portrait” reminded us of Lauren Groff’s 2021 hit, “Matrix,” set in medieval France. So for this week’s deep track, we thought we’d bring you the Talking Volumes interview MPR News host Kerri Miller did with Groff on the stage of the Fitzgerald Theater last year, where Groff describes the history, the art and the music that inspired her writing. Guest:Lauren Groff is the author of six books. “Matrix” is her most recent, released in 2021. To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.Subscribe to the MPR News w

John Bargaard — the central character of Peter Geye’s new novel — possesses powerful muscle memory from his days as a ski jumper. He remembers the intensity of focus, the feeling of flying through the air, the shattered glass moment of landing. But he’s just been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, and he faces the real prospect that his memories — and the secrets he harbors — will dim with his future. That’s the launching point of “The Ski Jumpers,” Geye’s latest book. Like many of his earlier works, this one is set in Minnesota, with winter as a backdrop to many pivotal scenes. But unlike books like “Wintering” and “Northernmost,” this one is personal. MPR News host Kerri Miller talks with Geye about what makes “The Ski Jumpers” so intimate to him on a special Big Books and Bold Ideas. Hear why this book took decades for Geye to write, how his own history of ski jumping inspired him and why the central questions of this book are the gateway to Geye’s truest religion. Guest:Peter Geye writes and lives in

America is a land divided between those who dwell in cities — diverse, educated and growing economically — and those who live in the country — white, uneducated and dependent on dying industries. Or so the narrative goes. But research shows the so-called urban-rural divide is mostly a myth that is hurting the country as a whole. Monday, on a special Minnesota Now, MPR News host Kerri Miller and two guests — both of whom have deep roots in rural America — debunked some myths and shed some light on the realities of rural America. Guests:Lisa Pruitt is professor of law at UC Davis School of Law where she specializes in rural issues. She will be at the Westminster Town Hall Forum on October 25 to host a session called “Mending the Rural-Urban Rift.”Loka Ashwood is a sociologist and an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky, where she focuses on rural communities and their participation in democracy.For more on Kerri Miller’s series of town halls throughout Minnesota focusing on the rewards and challeng

Talking Volumes returned to the Fitzgerald Theater in person on Sept. 14 to kick off the 2022 season. MPR News host Kerri Miller was joined by scholar and writer Karen Armstrong to discuss her new book, “Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World.”In this uncharacteristically short but powerful book, Armstrong pierces the modern veil of busyness and technology and lures us back to a sense of wonder with the world around us. Drawing on her vast knowledge of the world’s religious traditions, she vividly describes nature’s central place in spirituality across the centuries. In doing so, Armstrong shows modern readers how to rediscover nature’s potency and form a connection to something greater than ourselves.Guest: Karen Armstrong is a scholar and the author of numerous books on religion, including “The Case for God,” “A History of God,” “Islam,” and “Buddha.” Her new book, released Sept. 2022, is “Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World.”To listen to a lightly edit

Karen Armstrong entered a convent when she was 17.When she was last on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater, in 2019, she said she treated getting into heaven like getting into the University of Oxford.“My early experience of religion — both before I became a nun and during it — was all about me,” said Armstrong.“[It was] about my feelings about the Lord, my meditations and my progress, and was I going to be a good nun or was I going to get into heaven? Lots of times I doubted that.”Armstrong and her peers were told not to focus on the outside world, but to look inward instead.She laughed while remembering one notable exception, during the Cuban missile crisis. They were warned about the threat of war, but were never told that the threat was over.“For three weeks, we were sort of scanning the horizon for mushroom clouds until eventually one of us had the courage to say, ‘What happened about Cuba?’”She left the convent decades ago, but has spent several years closely examining religion.In 2019, she published “The L

All animals use their senses to perceive the world, humans included. But not every animal senses the same thing. In Pulitzer prize-winning science journalist Ed Yong’s new book, he explores the way each species sees the world through its own sensory viewpoint and explains why that should both delight and humble us. “Senses always come at a cost,” Yong writes. “No animal can sense everything well.”In “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us,” Yong invites us to break out of our human sensory bubbles to consider the unique ways that dogs, dolphins, spiders, bats, octopus and countless other animals experience their surroundings. On this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas, Yong joined MPR News host Kerri Miller to share stories about why jumping spiders have eight eyes, how octopus arms operate without the brain, why Morpho butterflies have ears on their wings — and why we should gently resist the tendency to view other animals’ senses through the limited view of our own. Guest:Ed Yon

Americans love their pets. In 2018, we spent more than $72 billion feeding them, grooming them, training them, medicating them and — much to the pets’ regret — clothing them. Dog owners, in particular, are quick to say dogs are special — not only because they are smart and social creatures, but because dogs love us back.But do they really? Or are they just happy to see us because we hold the keys to the food? One animal behaviorist says he’s done the research and he’s convinced that dogs do form emotional attachments with their owners. Enjoy this fun and enlightening conversation from 2020 between MPR News host Kerri Miller and Clive Wynne — both certified dog lovers — as they talk about Wynne’s research on canine love. And let it whet your appetite for this Friday’s Big Book and Bold Ideas show, when Miller will talk with science journalist Ed Yong about his new book: “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us.” Guest:Clive Wynne, animal behaviorist, founding director of the Cani

It’s a music extravaganza on MPR Day at the Minnesota State Fair. On Friday, MPR News host Kerri Miller hosted a special live program of music and music trivia at Dan Patch Stage in front of the Grandstand. Kerri talked with members of The Family Stone, who are performing Friday and Saturday at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell at the State Fair. In 1966, saxophonist Jerry Martini and Sly Stone co-founded Sly and the Family Stone, one of the first major interracial and mixed gender bands in the country. The California band reflected the counterculture of the 1960s and laid a foundation for the street funk, soul and disco music of the 1970s. Martini and a new lineup are continuing the legacy with classics, like “Dance to the Music” and “Hot Fun in the Summertime.” Guests: Sean McPherson is the music director and afternoon host of Jazz88-KBEM and a former host on 89.3 The Current. He’s also co-owner of Trivia Mafia and bassist for Heiruspecs.Sarah Alfano is a bass player and backup vocalist for the Minneapolis band

If someone asks you how old you are, you’ll probably answer with the number that reflects the birth date on your driver’s license. But scientists are learning that chronological age is not the same as your biological age. Technology has given researchers the tools to measure countless metrics and cross-reference them to get a better picture of your true age.One of those researchers is Morgan Levine. This week, on Big Books and Bold Ideas, she spoke with host Kerri Miller about how your biological age can give you a glimpse into the future, but one that you have the power to alter.“Your biological age on any given day is not your destiny,” she writes in her new book, “True Age: Cutting-Edge Research to Help Turn Back the Clock.”Guest: Morgan Levine is a aging researcher, an adjunct professor of pathology at Yale and the founding investigator at Altos Labs, a biotech firm that aims to develop life extension therapies. Her new book is “True Age: Cutting-Edge Research to Help Turn Back the Clock.” To listen to th

Dan Buettner's specialty is Blue Zones — communities where people live the longest, healthiest lives on the planet. He researched and wrote about these communities in his book, "The Blue Zones Solution.” He also helped create new Blue Zones in places like Iowa, New York and Minnesota.His work mirrors that of Yale researcher Morgan Levine. She studies aging and longevity, and she’ll talk about the latest science with host Kerri Miller on this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas.Until then, be inspired by this 2015 discussion Miller had with Buettner at the Minneapolis Foundation’s Face Forward Conference. Guest: Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist andproducer, and New York Times bestselling author. He’s written several books about Blue Zones.To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS.Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and