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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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? -
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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Copeland hopes her book will help young dancers feel comfortable in the studio and on the stage. She says illustrator Setor Fiadzigbey channeled "superhero energy" into dancers leaping off the page. -
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. -
Nineteen-year-old Ashima Shiraishi may be one of the most talented rock climbers in the world, but lofty titles aside, she wants kids to know that most of climbing — and life — is "just falling." -
Before he became an astrophysicist, Ray Jayawardhana was just a kid, looking up at the night sky with his father. "I remember being awed," he says. He's written a book called Child of the Universe. -
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. -
When Nancy Redd was a kid, she was embarrassed by the bonnet she wore over her hair every night. "I didn't want my daughter growing up with that same shame," she says. -
The film, made in 1939 or 1940, shows Lowry as a child playing on the beach, with a ship in the distance. She later learned it was the USS Arizona, which sank during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
