New music books take on Paul Simon's 'Graceland' and the history of music and prison
Podcast: NPR's Book of the DayPublished On: Fri Sep 04 2026
Description: In today’s episode, we chat about two new music histories. First, 1986’s Graceland is considered Paul Simon's signature album. It introduced South African music to a global audience and revitalized Simon's career. Author Ashley Kahn spoke with Morning Edition’s A Martínez about his new book Days of Miracle and Wonder, which goes behind the scenes of the album. Then, a book about how outlaws, gangers and criminals dot the history of American music. In today’s episode, Colin Asher talks with NPR’s Don Gonyea about The Midnight Special, a history of the relationship between music and prison.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
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