NPR reporter Emily Feng lived in, and reported from, Beijing for years. But in 2022, the Chinese government told Feng, who was born in the United States to Chinese parents, that she couldn't return to the country. The experience prompted her to ask: What does it mean to be Chinese under Xi Jinping's government? Her new book Let Only Red Flowers Bloom explores this question through the lens of individuals who don't fit the government's ideal. In today's episode, Feng joins NPR's Ailsa Chang for a conversation about one of the central characters in the book, the way the Chinese government connects religion and ethnicity, and the personal impact of identity politics.

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At the beginning of Long Island, an Irish-American woman named Eilis opens the front door of her New York home and is greeted by news of her husband's affair. The other woman is pregnant – and Eilis must decide what to do next. Author Colm Tóibín says this scene convinced him to write the novel, an unplanned sequel to Brooklyn. Long Island picks up 25 years after Brooklyn left off, following Eilis as she returns to the Irish town where she grew up. In today's episode, Tóibín talks with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly about his decision to write the sequel, his own hometown in Ireland, and his characters' views of what makes someone a foreigner.

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The satirical news magazine The Onion has been putting out ironic and often absurd headlines for more than 40 years. Christine Wenc was part of the paper's original staff, dating back to its origins as an alt weekly in Madison, Wisconsin. Now, Wenc has written a book Funny Because It's True: How the Onion Created Modern News Satire that traces the history of the magazine's influence. In today's episode, she joins NPR's Scott Detrow for a conversation about the cheap living conditions that allowed the original The Onion staff to experiment, how the paper responded to 9/11, and why she believes The Onion is "good fake news."

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The authors of two new poetry collections aspire to reach broad audiences with their work. First, John Himmelman says he wanted to tell stories with as few words as possible. The Boy Who Lived in a Shell, a book of illustrated poems intended for children, is connected by a single narrator, Ivo, who lives in a giant moon snail shell. In today's episode, Himmelman speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about working at a New York library, writing to make himself laugh, and making poetry accessible to short attention spans. Then, lawyer, educator and author Reginald Dwayne Betts spent eight years in prison for a crime he committed at 16. While there, Betts began to write. His latest collection Doggerel plays with the idea of mediocre poetry and a recurring motif of dogs. In today's episode, he speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about his Jack Russell terrier, reading poetry to strangers, and an emotional encounter with the police.

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In Callan Wink's new novel Beartooth, two brothers live at the edge of Yellowstone National Park. Their father has recently died of cancer, leaving behind unpaid medical bills and taxes. Desperate to save their home, the pair ventures into the park as part of a scheme involving the illegal collection of elk antlers. The novel, Wink says, was inspired by a similar story he heard at a bar. In today's episode, Wink talks with Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd about the experience of living near Yellowstone, the impact of financial desperation on ethics, and the author's decision to write about brothers.

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Sen. Chuck Schumer received major backlash from his party after supporting a Republican spending bill earlier this month – and some Democrats have called for him to resign from his position as minority leader. Schumer recently spoke with NPR's Scott Simon about that budget measure, prior to the ballots being cast, as part of a conversation about his new book, Antisemitism in America: A Warning. In the book, Schumer warns of an acceleration in antisemitism since 2017, a trend he says he's observed among the political right and left. In today's episode, Schumer joins Simon for a discussion that touches on the senator's criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the federal funding fight at Columbia University, and the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil.

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Author Allison Epstein says when she read Oliver Twist, she found Charles Dickens' portrayal of Fagin, the novel's central scoundrel, to be stereotypical and antisemitic. But there was also something about the character that piqued her curiosity. Now, her new novel Fagin the Thief gives that character a backstory – and a literary second chance. In today's episode, Epstein speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about her research into where someone like Fagin might've grown up, her reimagination of the character's intentions, and how she came to view Dickens as a working writer.

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Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former Meta executive, is now barred from discussing her criticism of the company. But before Meta gained an injunction against their former employee, she spoke with NPR's Steve Inskeep about her new memoir Careless People. The book charts Wynn-Williams' path from onetime Facebook megafan to Meta critic – and characterizes Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg as "careless" leaders comfortable cooperating with authoritarian regimes. In today's episode, Wynn-Williams and Inskeep discuss Meta's negotiations with China over censorship tools, Zuckerberg's relationship to President Trump, and alleged misconduct by Wynn-Williams' former boss, Joel Kaplan.

Editor's Note: Meta is a financial supporter of NPR.

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In their new noir novels, authors Joseph Finder and Jo Nesbø choose small towns as the settings for dark plotlines. First, Finder's The Oligarch's Daughter follows a man named Paul who has built a new life under a new name in New Hampshire. He's on the run from a Russian oligarch, who happens to be his father-in-law. In today's episode, Finder speaks with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly about the difficulty of disappearing in today's era of surveillance technology, the difference between typical wealth and oligarch wealth, and how the Russian oligarch class' status has shifted under President Vladimir Putin. Then, one of the protagonists in Nesbø's Blood Ties is Roy, a 35-year-old mass murderer who's ready to start a family. Nesbø says his challenge was to make Roy someone readers could root for. In today's episode, the author speaks with NPR's Kelly about a piece of advice he received from Christopher Nolan, the way small towns hold secrets, and how writing lyrics prepared him to write novels.

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In 1936, Merle Oberon became the first Asian woman–and person of color–to receive an Oscar nomination for best actress. She was nominated for her role in The Dark Angel and later starred in films like Wuthering Heights. But Oberon kept her mixed-race, South Asian heritage a secret, passing as white for her entire career. Mayukh Sen tells this story in Love, Queenie, the first biography of Oberon. In today's episode, Sen speaks with Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes about prejudice the actress faced during her upbringing in India, the role men played in her career, and the elaborate stories she told to keep her identity a secret.

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In a new memoir, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles describes moments of deep uncertainty in her storied career. For example, there was a time in her mid-teens when she considered quitting the sport. But a pivotal conversation with friend and future teammate Simone Biles encouraged her to continue. I'm That Girl details other challenges in Chiles' career, like being scrutinized for her appearance – and her hair in particular. In today's episode, the gymnast talks with NPR's Juana Summers about the difficulty of losing a bronze medal on a technicality, life as a student-athlete at UCLA, and Chiles' thoughts on the 2028 Olympics.

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