For her new novel about boy bands, Emma Straub took a page from New Kids on the Block

A few years ago, author Emma Straub saw a story about New Kids on the Block hosting a tropical cruise for their fans. That planted the seed for Straub, whose new novel, American Fantasy, is about a fictional, aging boy band called Boy Talk that sets sail for five days of nostalgia. In today’s episode, the author speaks with NPR’s Justine Kenin about the 50-year-old female fan at the center of the novel. Straub also shares her experience receiving feedback on a draft from New Kids member Joey McIntyre. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday 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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For her new novel about boy bands, Emma Straub took a page from New Kids on the Block is an episode from NPR's Book of the Day by NPR.

This episode is 4:28 long.

This episode was published on Apr 16, 2026.

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