Religion scholar Elaine Pagels lost her young son to terminal illness and her husband a year later in an accident. Her new book, ‘Why Religion?’ combines memoir and biblical scholarship and reflects on loss and faith.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the album ‘Interstate Gospel’ from the country trio Pistol Annies, comprised of Ashley Monroe, Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley.

Chef José Andrés talks about why “vegetables are sexy,” reinventing the Philly Cheesesteak and growing up in Spain. His memoir is ‘We Fed an Island.‘