New biographies look at the careers of designers Claire McCardell and Virgil Abloh
Two new books look at the lives and careers of designers who revolutionized American fashion. First, Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson is out with Claire McCardell, a biography of a lesser-known designer who radically changed the way we think about women's clothing. In today's episode, Dickinson speaks with NPR's Andrew Limbong about the history of pockets and the psychology of what we wear. Then, Robin Givhan joins NPR's Michel Martin to discuss Make It Ours, her new cultural history of Virgil Abloh. They discuss how Abloh redefined luxury fashion, despite beginning his career as an industry outsider.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Congress has voted to eliminate government funding for public media
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'Trailblazer' is a memoir by Carol Moseley Braun, first Black woman elected to Senate
Carol Moseley Braun is a woman of many firsts. She was both the first Black woman and Black Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate, and the first female senator from Illinois. In her new memoir Trailblazer, Moseley Braun shares the highs – and high costs – of breaking these barriers. In today's episode, she talks with NPR's Michel Martin about her political origin story and the high expectations she faced while in office.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Liane Moriarty on her novel 'Here One Moment' and on writing 'women's fiction'
In Liane Moriarty's Here One Moment, a woman on a flight from Tasmania to Sydney, Australia looks around at her fellow passengers and reveals how each of them will die. Moriarty says the idea for the novel – which is now out in paperback – came to her during a time when she was contemplating her own mortality. In today's episode, the author speaks with Here & Now's Robin Young about putting her characters in difficult situations and being known as an author of women's fiction.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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'The Last Sweet Bite' is a cookbook that documents the way conflict changes cuisine
Michael Shaikh's The Last Sweet Bite is filled with recipes, but it's also a document that reflects the way conflict alters cuisine. The project, which blends travel writing, memoir and the traditional cookbook structure, profiles six regions impacted by war, violence and genocide. In today's episode, Shaikh joins NPR's Leila Fadel for a conversation that touches on how he went from covering human rights abuses in conflict zones to creating this non-traditional cookbook.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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