The theme for this spring member drive show is family. We mine the Big Books and Bold Ideas archives for the best conversations with authors who’ve used their own histories as inspiration. They include: Luis Alberto Urrea, whose novel, “Good Night, Irene” was inspired by his mother’s wartime experiences — which he didn’t learn the whole truth about until after her death. Poet Safyia Sinclair, who chronicled how her father’s Rastafari faith controlled her childhood home in her memoir, “How to Say Babylon.” Christine Kuehn and her explosive book, “Family of Spies,” which uncovers how her grandparents were Nazi spies who were instrumental in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations.Subscribe to Big Books and Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS or anywhere you get your podcasts.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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