Samantha Balaban
Samantha Balaban is a producer at Weekend Edition.
After receiving her M.A. in Journalism and Latin American studies from New York University, she got her start in public radio covering the James "Whitey" Bulger trial for WBUR as an intern. Since coming to NPR in 2014, she has reported on a perfume-loving tiger, traveled to Mexico to meet actor Diego Luna (and cover the elections), ridden with border patrol officers along the Rio Grande River, eaten very well in Houston, interviewed a Bangle and used her waterproof fanny pack to help keep her mic dry during hurricanes. She's also responsible for Picture This, a series of conversations with authors and illustrators.
Most days, you can find her under a pile of books and mail coordinating Weekend Edition's book coverage. On weekends, she's hanging out with her dog, Winnie.
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Food banks have seen demand climb dramatically this year. Eric Cooper of the San Antonio Food Bank talks about how additional federal dollars could make a difference to his clients.
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A community art exhibit in suburban Maryland asked residents to consider a simple question: What have you lost, and what have you found in 2020?
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When Derrick Barnes began writing children's books 15 years ago, he didn't see Black kids — boys in particular — depicted in positive, affirming ways. His latest book is called I Am Every Good Thing.
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Many people stuck at home are interested in adopting a dog. Rescue groups and shelters want them to really consider if they can still commit to being a dog owner after they return to the workplace.
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Knight has written a series of books about "mental decluttering" — her latest is called F*ck No! "Most people will take no for an answer much more easily than you think they will," she says.
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As a kid, Helena Ku Rhee used to tag along with her parents as they cleaned law offices overnight. She's now a lawyer herself, and has written The Paper Kingdom, about a boy and his janitor parents.
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"We think of refugees as people who wait a lot and suffer," says author Kyo Maclear. She was determined to tell a different kind of story. Her illustrator, Rashin Kheiriyeh, fled Iran as a child.
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Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey have worked together on creative projects since they were kids. Their new book — illustrated with 250+ stamps — is about family, farm life, determination and hard work.
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Dec. 21 is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Susan Cooper, who wrote the solstice poem "The Shortest Day," collaborated with illustrator Carson Ellis on a new picture book.
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Veterinarians have suicide rates of more than double that of the general population. One group is building an online community to give advice and help out when stress adds up.