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Alex Cohen may be a public radio reporter by day, but by night she goes by her roller derby name — Axles of Evil. Cohen has joined forces with fellow L.A. Derby Doll Jennifer "Kasey Bomber" Barbee to write Down and Derby, an insider's guide to a rough-and-tumble sport.

Jonathan Franzen's new novel, Freedom, doesn't come out until Tuesday but The New York Times has already declared it a "masterpiece" and Time magazine has dubbed Franzen a "Great American Novelist." The book has gotten so much attention in the media that it's led to accusations of both gender and genre bias among the literary elite.

Ruled by the militant Islamists of Hamas, the Gaza Strip is home to almost 2 million Palestinians, most of whom are unable to leave. Recently, Israel has partially eased its economic blockade. But 18 months since Israel's war in Gaza, there has been only limited reconstruction.

The landmark 1963 civil rights march was more than just "I have a dream," says historian Charles Euchner. His new book, Nobody Turn Me Around: A People's History of the 1963 March on Washington, relies on participants and attendees to tell the story of that fateful day.

Past the very northern end of Interstate 95, traffic dwindles to just a few thousand cars a day. Past that, there's no sign of the highway residents were promised more than 60 years ago.

Widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi admitted in his autobiography that he hates tennis, "with a dark and secret passion." Always has. He spoke to Terry Gross last November about what he calls the "contradictions" at the core of his life.

The Seattle Gum Wall, the Montana Testicle Festival, and the entire state of Nevada are just a few of the non-destinations Catherine Price lists in her anti-travel guide, 101 Places Not To See Before You Die. Price takes it upon herself to go to terrible tourist destinations ... so you don't have to.

Five years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans isn't the city it used to be. The Census Bureau estimates there are 100,000 fewer people living there than before the storm. But many in New Orleans say things may actually be better -- from its sense of community to a greater appreciation of the city's food and music.

In her new book about bad behavior, Laura Kipnis explores why we can't look away when a public drama unfolds. But critic Susan Jane Gilman says her approach is a bit too timid for such a titillating topic.

The British director speaks with Fresh Air's Dave Davies about his new film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based on the graphic comic series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Wright also directed the parody romantic zombie film Shaun of the Dead and the British TV sit-com, Spaced.