Lynn Neary

Credit Doby Photography / NPR

Lynn Neary is an NPR arts correspondent and a frequent guest host often heard on Morning Edition, Weekend Edition and Talk of the Nation.

In her role on the Arts desk, Neary reports on an industry in transition as publishing moves into the digital age. As she covers books and publishing, she relishes the opportunity to interview many of her favorite authors from Barbara Kingsolver to Ian McEwan.

Arriving at NPR in 1982, Neary spent two years working as a newscaster during Morning Edition. Then, for the next eight years, Neary was the host of Weekend All Things Considered. In 1992, she joined the cultural desk to develop NPR's first religion beat. As religion correspondent, Neary covered the country's diverse religious landscape and the politics of the religious right.

Over the years Neary has won numerous prestigious awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism award, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Gold Award, an Ohio State Award, an Association of Women in Radio and Television Award and the Gabriel award. For her reporting on the role of religion in the debate over welfare reform, Neary shared in NPR's 1996 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton Award.

A Fordham University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Neary thinks she has the ideal job and suspects she is the envy of English majors everywhere.

Oprah's Book Club Turns Over A New Page

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Oprah Winfrey's revamped book club uses her magazine and OWN cable network as platforms.

By Lynn Neary

Originally published on Wed December 12, 2012 4:58 am

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Oprah Winfrey became a publishing powerhouse when she started her book club in 1996. Her picks went to the top of best-seller lists — and stayed there for weeks. But when Winfrey's daily talkfest went off the air, the book club ended as well.

Now she is reviving it: Winfrey has just announced her second pick for the Book Club 2.0: The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, a novel by first-time author Ayana Mathis about the Great Migration of African-Americans out of the rural South.

2:18 am

Tue December 11, 2012

Oprah's Second Pick: A First Time Novelist

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Oprah Winfrey's OWN cable channel and her magazine have revived her book club, now known as Book Club 2.0.

Credit Elena Seibert / Knopf

Ayana Mathis is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie is her debut novel.

By Lynn Neary

Originally published on Tue December 11, 2012 9:55 am

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Earlier this year, Oprah Winfrey announced an updated version of her popular book club, this time called Book Club 2.0. Her first pick, Cheryl Strayed's memoir Wild, experienced best-seller list success thanks to what some people are calling the "Oprah bump." And last week Winfrey announced her second pick, a novel called The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, a first-time author.

4:12 pm

Mon November 26, 2012

Independent Bookstores Find Their Footing

Credit J. Scott Applewhite / AP

President Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia go shopping at a small bookstore, One More Page, in Arlington, Va. This is shaping up to be a better holiday season for independent booksellers than in past years.

By Lynn Neary

Originally published on Mon November 26, 2012 5:18 pm

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In recent years, the start of the holiday shopping season has meant nothing but gloom for independent bookstores. But this year, the mood seems to be lifting, and a lot of booksellers are feeling optimistic. Even President Obama kicked off his Christmas shopping at a neighborhood bookstore in Northern Virginia.

4:08 am

Thu November 15, 2012

'Round House' Wins National Book Award For Fiction

Credit Eric Miller / AP

By Lynn Neary

Originally published on Thu December 6, 2012 3:42 pm

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The National Book Awards announced Wednesday night honored both longtime writers and new authors, from Louise Erdrich who won for her novel The Round House to Katherine Boo, who was honored for her debut nonfiction work, Behind the Beautiful Forevers.

Erdrich has been a highly regarded author for nearly 30 years. She'd been a finalist twice before but said being honored is "all the more meaningful when you're older ... because you don't know if your years of writing at your very best are behind you."

2:44 am

Tue November 13, 2012

'Testament Of Mary' Gives Fiery Voice To The Virgin

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Credit Phoebe Ling / Scribner

Colm Toibin is the author of several novels, including The Master, which was shortlisted for the 2004 Man Booker Prize.

By Lynn Neary

Originally published on Wed November 14, 2012 2:36 pm

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The Virgin Mary is one of the most familiar icons of Christianity. For centuries, artists have depicted her on everything from backyard statues of a rosy-cheeked innocent to paintings of magnificent Madonnas hanging in museums all over the world. But few writers have taken up her story or tried to create their own version of the events of her life.

Now, Irish writer Colm Toibin does just that. His novella, The Testament of Mary, raises questions about the life of Jesus' mother and the stories that laid the groundwork for the creation of a church.

4:06 am

Thu November 1, 2012

'Smitten Kitchen' Takes The Fuss Out Of Cooking

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Credit Deb Perelman /

Credit Courtesy of Deb Perelman

Deb Perelman's kitchen is 3 feet by 6 feet, and the only counter is a meager 2 feet by 3 feet, but she says the size of your kitchen shouldn't get in the way of what you cook.

Credit Elizabeth Bick / Courtesy of Alfred A. Knopf

Deb Perelman lives in New York with her husband and son. She likes bourbon, artichokes and things that taste like burnt sugar.

By Lynn Neary

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 2:26 pm

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Think of the smallest kitchen you can imagine, and then take away a few square feet. That's Deb Perelman's New York kitchen. It's so small that the blogger, and now author, literally has to wedge herself between the stove and the refrigerator to cook.