An annotated Constitution helps 'the people' see themselves in the founding document

NPR | By Sacha Pfeiffer,

Justine Kenin, Tyler Bartlam

Published May 13, 2026 at 4:30 PM EDT

NYU Law professor Melissa Murray gives context and commentary on the nation's founding document in her new book The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader.

Related Content

New novels from Elizabeth Strout and 'Pemi Aguda are lonely and enchanting

Maureen Corrigan

Aguda's novel, One Leg on Earth, follows a young woman in Nigeria facing an unintended pregnancy. The Things We Never Say, by Strout, centers on a high school teacher leading a secret life of sadness.
New York Times reporter Jazmine Ulloa takes a deep dive into her 'El Paso' hometown

Here & Now Newsroom

In her new book, "El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory," New York Times reporter Jazmine Ulloa recounts the history of the town she grew up in, which she believes speaks as much or more to the immigrant experience than Ellis Island.
In '2084,' authors fictionalize global threats as a real world warning

Mary Louise Kelly, Erika Ryan, Courtney Dorning

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to Admiral James Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman about their new book, 2084, which examines a future where climate change has ravaged the planet.
She spent a year using AI to do almost everything. Here's what she learned

Terry Gross

Tech writer Joanna Stern used AI to read medical results, respond to texts and serve as her therapist. She says her emotional connection to it was unsettling. Her new book is I Am Not a Robot.
In 'The Young Will Remember,' a Korean War reporter gets stranded behind enemy lines

Dhanika Pineda

In Eve J. Chung's new novel, Ellie Chang ends up stuck in a place she's only known as enemy territory, reliant on strangers to help her get home.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.