Melissa Gray

A Nigerian teen obsessed with the West comes of age in a dangerous country. NPR's Camila Domonoske talks with Stephen Buoro about his comic novel, "The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa."

NPR staff recommend four novels from our Books We Love list: "A Merry Little Meet Cute," "The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen," "The Devil Takes You Home," and "Lapvona."

The artist builds on the Afrofuturistic world from her 2018 album in a new short story collection titled The Memory Librarian. She tells NPR about her nightmare that inspired the project.

A program in Louisiana helps young adults who've aged out of the foster care system. It gives them guidance on how to meet basic needs like housing, work and healthcare on their own.

Picoult's pandemic-inspired story focusing on a character stranded in the Galápagos Islands highlights how events can change us — and offer perspective.

Arguments over race, the pandemic and the impact on schools have taken center stage. Democrats fight back voter disaffection as a Republican candidate gains traction in a state that's trended blue.

With lyrics poking at the ways young women are scrutinized and exploited, Happier than Ever finds Eilish in some dark corners — but the pop supernova tells NPR she's got lots to feel hopeful about.

The Super Bowl is a big day for guacamole, which could also mean more ER visits. A recent study links avocado consumption to hand injuries.

Though best-known for his auteur work, the mastermind of Hamilton and In the Heights says it was his dream to be offered a part in someone else's musical.

Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia of NPR's podcast What's Good explain why they think 1988 was a banner year for hip-hop.

Streams of Thought Vol. 1, the debut solo project from the voice of The Roots, shows off a side of the rapper fans rarely get to hear.

Christian McBride of Jazz Night in America joins NPR's Audie Cornish with a few criteria for what turns a regular composition into a canonized classic.

The Roots bandleader and Renaissance man has a new book called Creative Quest, in which he advises readers on how to consider creativity, how to pursue it and how to channel it.

The 32-year-old singer shows off a liquid voice rich with the music and culture of her native country for her debut album.

The Washington, D.C.-born R&B singer, whose debut studio album landed on many critic's lists of the best music of 2017, says music taught her to be fearless.

It's a new year and time for a new you! Or not. NPR producer Melissa Gray, a self-described "potty mouth," has decided to try to cut her casual cursing, but she needs better euphemisms. Help her.

For the past few years, bar reviewer Emma Allen has introduced us to great drinks. This year, she surprises retiring host Robert Siegel with a cocktail designed just for him.

The musician and historian behind the long-running stage show Banjo Dancing has a new album of banjo and guitar showpieces that span the late 19th century and well into the 20th.

Hillary Clinton joins the exclusive club of men who reached for, but failed to grasp, our nation's highest elected office. From Aaron Burr to Al Gore, here's a look at the company Clinton joins.

Matzo ball soup is a classic straight from Eastern Europe. But not all Jews from the region came to the New World via Ellis Island, as this jalapeño-inflected recipe reflects.