Scott Simon

On April 29, 1986, fire tore through Los Angeles' Central Library — more than one million books were damaged or destroyed. Susan Orlean tells the story of the suspected arson in The Library Book.

The author of The Color Purple has released a new book of poems. Written in English and translated into Spanish, it's called Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart.

This week the New York public library and the Boston public library made a friendly wager over baseball.

President Trump says he "fell in love" with the supreme leader of North Korea, who presides over a cruel kingdom of repression and torture.

After years of writing songs for some of the biggest names in country music, Heather Morgan makes her solo debut with the album Borrowed Heart.

At Chicago's Wrigley Field, a rat's attempt to surmount a wall got fans cheering on Sept. 25, even as the home team lost.

At 94, Mike Nussbaum is reportedly the oldest working stage actor in the country. He is currently starring in a play at the Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Ill.

The award-winning native Canadian singer-songwriter and social activist looks back on a life of music, milestones and empowerment.

NPR's Scott Simon says Christine Blasey Ford's accusations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh unlocked a heavy door holding in American women's experiences with sexual assault.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's path to confirmation hit a roadblock after allegations of sexual assault decades ago. The Senate Judiciary Committee wants Christine Blasey Ford to testify.

In his essay this week, NPR's Scott Simon wonders whether the most remarkable play of this college football season so far was really a win for the athletes.

Tony Bennett and Diana Krall share their love of George and Ira Gershwin with a new album, Love Is Here to Stay.

Jose Antonio Vargas' new book is a memoir about living in the U.S. as an "undocumented citizen" — a secret he himself didn't discover until he was 16.

What's so bad about a cinnamon raisin bagel with lox anyway?

The Hall of Fame college basketball coach, fired by the University of Louisville in 2017 following recruiting violations, addresses his career and recent headline-grabbing mistakes in a new memoir.

In this Saturday's essay, NPR's Scott Simon considers how the author of the anonymous New York Times op-ed could better serve the country.

NPR's Scott Simon, Kelsey Snell and Ron Elving host coverage of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama speaking at the funeral for John McCain.

Vladimir Kara-Murza is a Russian opposition figure who has twice been poisoned but keeps working for liberty and change in his country. He was also one of John McCain's pallbearers.

Vanessa Hua's debut novel follows two women at a secret California maternity center where rich Chinese send expectant mothers to give birth to U.S. citizens. Then they run away.

A statue to honor Alice Allison Dunnigan, the first African-American woman accredited to cover the White House, will soon stand at the Newseum in Washington, DC.