Sam Briger

Maria Semple's new comic novel is about a stressed-out wife and mother who starts every day with a mantra. She tells Fresh Air's Sam Briger that the book was inspired by her own experiences as a mom.

Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy offer a pessimistic view of human nature in Westworld, HBO's futuristic TV series about a theme park that allows tourists to act out their Wild West fantasies.

When he was 15, Weir ran away to work on a cattle ranch in Wyoming — an experience he revisits on his new album, Blue Mountain. "I ... carried it around for the rest of my days," he says.