Author Boyce Upholt's new book "The Great River" tells the story of the river, the Indigenous people who lived alongside the Mississippi and the white settlers who came along to claim it. Then, Here & Now's Scott Tong takes a trip to a Delaware Beach to see horseshoe crabs mating. The undignified process takes on a new resonance amid considerable concern about a decline in population, as the crabs are harvested for their blood and as bait. And, Minneapolis music writer Andrea Swensson talks about her book commemorating the 40th anniversary of Prince's "Purple Rain" album, which regularly ranks as one of the greatest albums of all time.

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