WAMU 88.5 : The Diane Rehm Show

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Zadie Smith: "NW: A Novel"

September 12, 2012
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Twelve years after the publication of her award-winning first novel "White Teeth," Zadie Smith returns to the racially mixed, multicultural northwest sector of London where she grew up in the 1970s and 1980s. Her newest novel is titled simply “NW.” It took more her than seven years to write, and she has likened it to a “problem play.” The plot revolves around four people in their 30s who come from the same subsidized housing project. Through their eyes, she explores the complexities of the class system in London and how people from similar backgrounds can come to have vastly different destinies.

Arts & Culture

NPR

A Race Against Time To Find WWI's Last 'Doughboys'

In 2003, Richard Rubin set out to talk to every American veteran of World War I he could find. With help from the French, he tracked down dozens of centenarian vets and recorded their stories in a new book called The Last of the Doughboys.

Food

NPR

The Great Charcoal Debate: Briquettes Or Lumps?

Does the kind of charcoal you use really make a difference when it comes to grilling up a tasty steak or other food on the grill? Yes — but deciding which one to use depends on what you're after. Both briquettes and lump charcoal — aka "natural" hardwood charcoal — have their advantages and disadvantages.

Politics

WAMU 88.5

Analysis: Republicans' Immigration Bill Could Come At Expense Of Democrats' Visa Bill

David Hawkings, political columnist at Hawkings Here for Roll Call, talks about the latest behind a Virginia lawmaker's push to get a high-skill immigration bill in the House.

Technology

NPR

Google Reportedly Faces FTC Antitrust Probe Over Display Ads

The Federal Trade Commission is in the early stages of opening an antitrust probe into how Google runs its online display advertising business, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing sources who want to remain anonymous because the FTC has not announced the probe.

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