Best Of: Writers Rachel Eliza Griffiths & Quiara Alegría Hudes
Fresh Air
NPR
4.3 • 36.1K Ratings
🗓️ 24 January 2026
⏱️ 49 minutes
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Summary
When writer Rachel Eliza Griffiths married Salman Rushdie in 2021, she expected her wedding day to be joyful. But the joy was invaded by tragedy, when she got the news her best friend had died. Eleven months later, Rushdie was stabbed and nearly killed onstage. Griffiths describes that year in her new memoir, ‘The Flower Bearers.'
Also, we hear from Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, writer of ‘In the Heights,’ ‘Water by the Spoonful,’ and the memoir ‘My Broken Language.’ Her new novel, ‘The White Hot,’ tells the story of a young mother who buys a one-way bus ticket and leaves her 10 year-old daughter behind.
Plus, film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘Sound of Falling,’ which is shortlisted for an Oscar for Best International Feature.
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| 0:16.1 | From W.HYY in Philadelphia, this is Fresh Air Weekend. I'm Tanya Mosley. When writer Rachel |
| 0:22.9 | Eliza Griffith married Salman Rushdie in 2021, she expected her wedding day to be joyful, |
| 0:29.5 | but the joy was invaded by tragedy, when her best friend never showed up because she suddenly |
| 0:34.9 | died. Eleven months later, Salman Rushdie was stabbed and nearly killed on stage. |
| 0:41.4 | Griffiths describes that year in her new memoir, The Flower Bearers. Also, we hear from |
| 0:47.9 | Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Kiara Alagria Hewdies, writer of In the Heights, Water by the |
| 0:53.8 | Spoonful, and the memoir, My Broken Language. |
| 0:57.4 | Her new novel, The White Hot, tells the story of a young mother who buys a one-way bus ticket and leaves her 10-year-old daughter behind. |
| 1:06.1 | Plus, film critic Justin Chang reviews Sound of Falling, which is shortlisted for an Oscar for Best |
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