Selected Shorts
231 episodes - English - Latest episode: 17 days ago - ★★★★ - 2.5K ratingsOur greatest actors transport us through the magic of fiction, one short story at a time. Sometimes funny. Always moving. Selected Shorts connects you to the world with a rich diversity of voices from literature, film, theater, and comedy. New episodes every Thursday, from Symphony Space.
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Episodes
Childhood Dreams
February 03, 2022 18:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBGuest host Maulik Pancholy presents two favorite stories from our archives about childhood dreams and desires. In “The Mathematician.” by Daniel Kehlmann, a mature genius is trapped in a child’s body. It’s performed by BD Wong. In Randall Kenan’s “Hobbits and Hobgoblins,” performed by Jeffrey Wright, a child living in a raucous household escapes into a dream world in which his house is filled with fabulous creatures. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?...
CHILDHOOD DREAMS
February 03, 2022 18:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBGuest host Maulik Pancholy presents two favorite stories from our archives about childhood dreams and desires. In “The Mathematician.” by Daniel Kehlmann, a mature genius is trapped in a child’s body. It’s performed by BD Wong. In Randall Kenan’s “Hobbits and Hobgoblins,” performed by Jeffrey Wright, a child living in a raucous household escapes into a dream world in which his house is filled with fabulous creatures. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?...
Too Hot for Radio: Souvankham Thammavongsa "Slingshot"
January 31, 2022 13:34 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBOn this episode, a story about sexual encounters between the seventy-year-old narrator, voiced by Kathleen Chalfant, and her thirty-two-year-old neighbor Richard. Plus host Aparna Nancherla chats with the author about her inspiration for this story, and more. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Love & Prohibition
January 27, 2022 18:00 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBGuest host David Sedaris presents three stories about love and constraints. Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl" conjures up a tough but loving mother in a humorous laundry list of dos and don'ts. She's brought to life by Hattie Winston. George Saunders' story title says it all: "Lars Farf, Excessively Fearful Husband and Father" takes protectiveness to hilarious extremes. The reader is James Naughton. And in Carson McCullers' "A Domestic Dilemma," read by Joanna Gleason, a Southern family has a secret. ...
Two Against the World
January 13, 2022 18:00 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MBGuest host Hope Davis presents two stories in which strong bonds between women are evoked, by authors reflecting very different worlds. In Youmna Chlala’s “Nayla,” read by Rita Wolf, two young women in a traditional community form a friendship. In Susan Perabo’s “Life Off My E,” the relationship between sisters is reflected through their shared love of Scrabble. Hope Davis is the reader. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio....
Ploughshares at 50
January 06, 2022 18:00 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBGuest host Jane Curtin presents two stories from the influential literary journal Ploughshares. “y = mx+b,” by Andrew Altschul uses an algebraic formula to explore the act of storytelling and the shape of life itself. It’s performed by Peter Mark Kendall. In our second story, Jamel Brinkley’s “I Happy Am,” a boy who usually imagines himself as a robot begins to imagine his own, real life. It also reflects on the way issues of race and class can effect a child’s imagination. The reader is ...
Runs in the Family
December 30, 2021 18:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBGuest host Cynthia Nixon presents two stories about unusual family members. In Alix Ohlin’s “The Cruise,” a heartsick divorcee travels with her unconventional aunt. Laura Benanti reads. An elderly dog is “A Permanent Member of the Family,” and a bone of contention, in this Russell Banks story performed by Zach Grenier. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Holidays with Mom
December 23, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBGuest host Meg Wolitzer presents our holiday show--two stories about being home for the holidays and how you can count on your Mom to be there for you—and possibly to complicate things. First, memoirist Augusten Burroughs recalls a disastrous—and hilarious—childhood cooking project. Reader Michael Cerveris relishes every bite. And in “Live Wires” by Thomas Beller, a young man invites his girlfriend to his mother’s annual Hanukkah party. The reader is Jane Curtin. Join and give!: https://...
Best American Short Stories 2021
December 16, 2021 18:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBGuest host Jane Kaczmarek presents two stories from the Best American Short Stories 2021 anthology selected by guest editor Jesmyn Ward. Both involve adolescents facing displacement or rejection, but the stories are set in very different environments: One takes place in a surreal, Soviet-occupied Afghanistan, and one inside a junior high school in Tennessee. First, Leo Solomon reads “Playing Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain,” by Jamil Jan Kochai. Then we hear “Biology,” by Kevin Wilson, p...
CHILD'S PLAY
December 09, 2021 18:00 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBGuest host Hope Davis presents three uncanny stories featuring children. In Simon Rich’s hilarious “The Baby,” a novelist faces competition from his unborn son. Jason Mantzoukas is the reader. A children’s game takes a strange turn in Fiona McFarlane’s “Buttony,” read by Jin Ha. And Etgar Keret offers up an unusual mother-son story—and lots of calories--in “Crumb Cake,” performed by Andy Richter. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See o...
Safe Distance
November 25, 2021 18:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBGuest host LeVar Burton presents three stories in which fantasies and memories are both near and far. In “The Elevator Dancer,” by N.K. Jemisin, a guard is obsessed by a woman who spins when no one is looking. Laura Gomez is the reader. A woman remembers a transforming moment in her Depression-era childhood in “Marigolds,” by Eugenia W. Collier. The story is performed by Sharon Washington. Ursula K. Le Guin moves and surprises us in “The Wife’s Story,” performed by Joanna Gleason. Join a...
Too Hot for Radio: Rick Moody "The Grid"
November 22, 2021 18:37 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBFrom the author of novels including The Ice Storm and Purple America, a story about love, longing, and most importantly, putting your lips on somebody. Performed by Jin Ha (Devs). Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Shared Realities
November 18, 2021 18:00 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBGuest host Jane Kaczmarek presents two very different stories about the overlap of aspirations and dreams. In “Fairness,” by Nigerian-born writer Chinelo Okparanta, a young girl from a well-to-do household is obsessed with the idea of having lighter skin, an obsession shared by all the women in her family circle. The reader is Chinasa Ogbuagu. In Rachel Simon’s eerie “Little Nightmares, Little Dreams,” a husband wants to share everything with his wife of fifty-four years, including their dr...
Children and Their Parents
November 11, 2021 18:00 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MBGuest host Cynthia Nixon presents stories about the family dynamics between children and parents. It's never too early to defy gender norms, as Ivan E. Coyote confides in "No Bikini," read by Becca Blackwell. A woman confronts her mother's aging, and her own childlessness, in Kathryn Chetkovich's tender story "The World with My Mother Still In It," read by Phillipa Soo. And three generations are "At the Zoo," in a story by Caitlin Horrocks: a rowdy grandpa, a sensitive child, and a mother c...
Remember Me
November 04, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBGuest host Hope Davis presents three stories about being perceived, and remembered, by others. In Aimee Bender’s “The Rememberer,” wonderfully performed by the late Marian Seldes, a woman has to reconstruct her lover from memory as he undergoes an extraordinary transformation. In “Rumors About Me,” an ordinary man becomes a media sensation. The unsettling story is by Yasutaka Tsutsui, translated by Andrew Driver, and performed by Kennedy Kanagawa. And an orange rules the world in a gentle...
Quiet Revelations
October 28, 2021 17:00 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MBGuest host Michael Cerveris presents two stories in which a lot happens, but subtly. The narrator of A.M. Homes’ “Yours Truly” is “hiding in the linen closet” on a journey of self-discovery. The reader is Beth Malone. In Weike Wang’s “Omakase” a couple’s special sushi dinner proves unexpectedly revealing. The reader is Jennifer Lim. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Survival Skills
October 21, 2021 17:00 - 59 minutes - 54 MBGuest host Roxane Gay presents two stories about making things work out, though sometimes at a cost. In “Loose Change,” by Andrea Levy, performed by Eve Best, a well-off Londoner has a strange encounter in an art gallery, one that recalls a pivotal moment in her family’s past. In Manuel Muñoz’s "Anyone Can Do It,” a poor woman takes a risk in order to provide for her family. The reader is Monica Raymund. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage ...
Embracing Disaster: Joyce Carol Oates and Etgar Keret
October 14, 2021 17:00 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBGuest host Cynthia Nixon presents stories by two masters of the short-story form. Humor, humanity, and fantasy all combine in four tales of things gone wrong. In “Fly Already” by Etgar Keret, performed by Liev Schreiber, a widower and his small son watch a drama unfold. In “Where Are You?” by Joyce Carol Oates, performed by Dianna Agron, a demanding husband pushes his wife to the limit. In “One Gram Short” by Etgar Keret, performed by Ira Glass, a stoner makes a really bad deal; and Oates’ ...
Approaching Peace
October 07, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBOn this show, guest host Hope Davis presents three stories about finding some kind of peace and stability in a variety of challenging circumstances. In Rabih Alameddine’s “Break” a trans woman reconnects with a sibling. The reader is Pooya Mohseni. Dave Eggers imagines a world changed by determined parents in “Your Mother And I,” performed by the late David Rakoff. And love triumphs over illness in Amy Bloom’s “Silver Water,” performed by Linda Lavin. Join and give!: https://donatenow.n...
Motherhood with Celeste Ng and Mary Karr
September 30, 2021 17:00 - 59 minutes - 54 MBOn this show, guest host Kate Burton introduces two stories that look at the joys and complexity of motherhood. They were chosen by the novelist Celeste Ng and memoirist and essayist Mary Karr, each of whom comments briefly on her pick. In “Looking for a Thief,” by Danielle Lazarin, a suburban mother questions her choices. The story is performed by Heather Burns. And Burton reads Tillie Olsen’s “I Stand Here Ironing,” in which another mother wonders if she’s done right by a challenging firs...
Outcasts in Love with Maulik Pancholy
September 23, 2021 17:00 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBTwo stories in which social outliers strive for love. “Tandolfo the Great,” by Richard Bausch, is read by Michael Ian Black. And Lance Reddick reads “A Tree, A Rock, a Cloud” by American master Carson McCullers. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Too Hot For Radio: ZZ Packer "Gideon"
September 20, 2021 18:25 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MB"Gideon" is read by the great American actress Danielle Brooks, known for her performance as Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson on Orange Is the New Black, among many other roles. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An Evening with LeVar Burton
September 16, 2021 17:00 - 59 minutes - 54 MBGuest host LeVar Burton presents two of his favorite stories. In Lucia Berlin’s “Friends,” the characters have different ideas about who benefits from their weekly lunches. The reader is Lydia Gaston. Next, Burton himself reads Jocelyn Nicole Johnson’s powerful “Control Negro,” in which an academic and father tries a real-world experiment to prove a theory about racism. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...
What’s Left Behind
September 09, 2021 17:00 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MBGuest host Meg Wolitzer presents three diverse stories that look at what gets left behind when life changes, gradually or suddenly. Restless retirees try on the ultimate next step in Greg Ames’ funny “Funeral Platter,” performed by Michael McKean and Annette O’Toole. The family in Julia Alvarez’s “Liberty” are on their way to a new life in America, but it’s difficult leaving the old one behind. The reader is Laura Gomez. And a trainer of guide dogs for the blind learns how to let go, in ...
Riverhead at 25
September 02, 2021 17:00 - 58 minutes - 53.4 MBGuest host Maulik Pancholy presents works that reflect on the diversity and excellence of Riverhead Books, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018. The program features “Flower Hunters,” by Lauren Groff, performed by Maria Dizzia, and “Buck Boy,” by James McBride, performed by Teagle Bougere, as well as special commissions from Aja Gabel (“Alarm”) and R.O. Kwon (“Tempo”) both performed by Hettienne Park. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=S...
Personal Politics
August 26, 2021 17:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBGuest host Baron Vaughn presents three works where the personal and the political collide. In “Parent Night at Confidence Academy,” by Kiley Reid, a teacher lets parents know what she really sees in their kids. The reader is Juliana Canfield. Two kingdoms have created ideal societies, as long as you don’t mind a little restraint, in this playful fable by Berlin Alexanderplatz author Alfred Doblin, read by Kate Burton. And local politics gets ugly (even the dog is involved) in Peter Orner’...
Out of Control
August 19, 2021 17:00 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBGuest host Cynthia Nixon presents three works about losing control. In Dmitry Biriukov’s “Hello?” a crowded city bus inspires one passenger to create a romantic scenario. The reader is Mike Doyle. Jenny Allen offers up a disastrous crafts project in “How to Tie-Dye,” reader by Jane Curtin. And Anton Chekhov gives us a clueless young man beset by determined women in “From the Diary of a Hot-Tempered Man,” read by Sam Underwood. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphony...
Punching In
August 12, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBGuest host Maulik Pancholy presents three stories about workers and the workplace—and "the daily grind." In a John Cheever classic, “Bayonne,” a busy waitress defends her territory. The reader is Mary Kay Place. The always succinct Lydia Davis gives us “Alvin the Typesetter,” in which a bohemian artist battles job conformity. The late David Rakoff performs. And in “OBF, Inc." by Bernice L. McFadden, an interviewee at a hip start-up learns about a secret organization that sells cultural ...
Too Hot for Radio: Stephen Tobolowsky "Listen to the Dog"
August 09, 2021 17:54 - 31 minutes - 29 MBWriter and character actor Stephen Tobolowsky reads his own story about a Thanksgiving dinner that takes a most unexpected turn. Later he talks to host Aparna Nancherla about his work in TV, movies, and his podcast, The Tobolowsky Files. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Words Without Borders
August 05, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBGuest host Kate Burton presents three stories in translation selected with the international literary organization Words Without Borders. A wealthy woman winds up on the other side of the poverty line in Évelyne Trouillot’s “Detour,” performed by Rita Wolf and Arian Moayed. A civil servant becomes a soccer star in Réka Mán-Várhegyi’s "Woman Striker Has Killer Left Foot,” performed by Adina Verson. And two teenage misfits visit a chimp in “Muzaffer and Bananas” by Yalçın Tosun, performed by A...
Facts and Legends
July 22, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBGuest host Jane Kaczmarek presents three stories where facts, beliefs, and fabrications coincide. Essayist Samantha Irby debunks nature, fresh air, and sunshine in “The Case for Remaining Indoors,” performed by Retta. Rebecca Makkai shares tattered facts about a terrorist in “Everything We Know About the Bomber,” performed by John Cameron Mitchell. And Michael McKean brings a difficult father to life in Walter Kirn’s “The Hoaxer.” Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphony...
True Confessions
July 15, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 55 MBGuest host Baron Vaughn presents three stories in which people “’fess up.” The title gives it away in “As a 28-Year-Old Latino, I’m Shocked My New Novel, Memoirs of a Middle-Aged White Lady, Has Been So Poorly Received” by Carlos Greaves. In the Heights’ Anthony Ramos performs. A family secret is revealed in “1,000-Year-Old Ghosts” by Laura Chow Reeve, performed by Jennifer Lim. And Winnie the Pooh author A. A. Milne reveals a caustic wit—and his knowledge of book collecting—in “The Rise and ...
Dynamic Duos
July 08, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBGuest host Denis O’Hare presents a program that features great two-hander stories, each performed by a pair of actors that brings out the best in them. In “The Trip,” by Bruce Jay Friedman, a young man is mortified when his over-the-top mom decides to accompany him to his first day at college. Santino Fontana and Julie Halston have fun with this social nightmare. In Lorrie Moore’s “Foes,” a world-weary liberal writer making a reluctant appearance at a charity dinner is seated with a rabid co...
New York Stories
July 01, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBGuest host Kate Burton presents five works that celebrate the energy and endurance of New York City. “The Lower East Side of Manhattan,” a poem by Victor Hernández Cruz, is performed by Sonia Manzano. Colum McCann’s “Dessert” is performed by F. Murray Abraham. Vinson Cunningham’s comic odyssey, “Home to Flatbush” is performed by Wyatt Cenac. Two women form a bond in “Recognition,” by Victor LaValle, performed by Karen Pittman. And an excerpt from Toni Morrison’s Jazz is performed by Anik...
Larger Than Life
June 24, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBGuest host Jane Kaczmarek presents two stories about characters who are compelling personalities. First, the story that inspired the Hollywood classic All About Eve, Mary Orr’s “The Wisdom of Eve,” performed by Stana Katic. Next, in Louise Erdrich’s powerful mother-daughter story “The Leap” a former trapeze artist pushes herself to the limit. It’s read by Elizabeth Reaser. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for...
Word Power
June 17, 2021 17:00 - 59 minutes - 54 MBGuest host Dylan Marron presents three works that demonstrate the power of words. In “The Dancing Mind,” the late Toni Morrison talks about why writers love their craft, and readers love their creations. Joe Morton is the reader. In Canadian poet and short-story writer Souvankham Thammavongsa’s story, “How to Pronounce Knife,” one word links two cultures. It’s performed by Deborah S. Craig. And Ian McEwan’s “My Purple-Scented Novel,” is a satirical tale about two authors and one masterp...
Under the Surface
June 10, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MBOn this SELECTED SHORTS, hosted by Jane Kaczmarek, we explore hidden emotions. In Patrick Dacey’s “Patriots” suburban lawn ornaments threaten a friendship. The reader is Wendie Malick. In Seth Fried’s “Sea Monster,” a wife has a secret that may affect her marriage. The reader is Natasha Rothwell. Host Jane Kaczmarek reads our final story. In “Mistress” by Gina Berriault, a woman meets her former lover’s son. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Spla...
Too Hot For Radio: Jess Walter "Helpless Little Things"
June 09, 2021 17:36 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBFrom the best-selling author Beautiful Ruins, an edgy, suspenseful story about a drug-dealing Portland con artist voiced by actor Denis O'Hare who seems to have the perfect scam going... until it all goes wrong. Jess Walter talks to host Aparna Nancherla about where he gets his inspiration from, reading his reviews, and how he handles the dreaded writer's block. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...
Uncanny
June 03, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBGuest host Kate Burton presents four works with a hint of strangeness. Your laptop wants the best for you, with a little reciprocity, in “Cat Pictures Please,” by Naomi Kritzer, performed by Nia Vardalos. “There Will Come Soft Rains” is an eerie post-apocalypse classic by Ray Bradbury, performed by Kathleen Chalfant. A despondent housewife gets a lift from a seductive window treatment in Michel Faber’s “The Eyes of the Soul,” performed by Sam Underwood. Join and give!: https://donate...
Curious Courtships
May 27, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBGuest host Maulik Pancholy presents three stories about curious courtships. First, does the perfect date night include zombies? Tony Hale reads “First Person Shooter,” by Charles Yu. A president’s wife is the ideal luggage item, until she develops a mind of her own in a vintage tale by Whitfield Cook. “The Portable Mrs. Tillson,” is performed by Laura Grey and Jordan Klepper. The show concludes with another period gem--“Gertrude the Governess: or, Simple Seventeen,” by Stephen Leacock, perfor...
Fame & Infamy
May 20, 2021 17:00 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MBGuest host Dylan Marron presents three stories about the fickle nature of fame. A classic action hero may be past his time in “The South Asian Speakers Series Presents the Archeologist and Adventurer Indiana Jones,” by Tania James, performed by Bryan Cranston. Everyday racism transforms a young woman into a death-defying activist in “Today, You’re a Black Revolutionary,” by Jade Jones, performed by Moses Ingram. And pop stars, their fads, and their handlers are fair game in “On a Day Tam...
Forgiving and Forgetting
May 13, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MBGuest host Robert Sean Leonard presents stories about transgression, misunderstandings, and betrayal. “Initials Etched on a Dining Room Table Lockeport Nova Scotia” call up a host of memories in this story by Peter Orner, performed by Maulik Pancholy. A chef down on his luck gets a new start in “Ollie’s Back,” by Lynn Sloan, performed by Nate Corddry. And parents disagree about the raising of a lively daughter, in “Light,” by Lesley Nneka Arimah, performed by Crystal Dickinson. Join and give...
Revise the Rules
May 06, 2021 17:00 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBGuest host Roxane Gay presents three stories in which personal codes and rules of behavior are tested. In “Miss Laura’s School for Esquire Men,” by Carmen Maria Machado, hopelessly macho men are learning to be kinder and gentler. The reader is Emily Skeggs. A schoolroom friendship comes at a high price in “Rubberdust” by Sarah Thankam Mathews, performed by Purva Bedi. The story was included in Best American Short Stories 2020 by guest editor Curtis Sittenfeld. A highly principled dogwalke...
Mending Families
April 29, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBGuest host Maulik Pancholy presents two stories about families. In Heather Monley’s “Paddle to Canada,” a risky family boating trip becomes contested history. Jenna Ushkowitz is the reader. And Jamel Brinkley’s “A Family” shows people coming together in unexpected ways after a loss. Brandon J. Dirden performs this Best American Short Stories 2019 selection. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
Reading the Russians with George Saunders
April 22, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 61 MBGuest host Kate Burton presents three Russian classics that reflect on the humor, humanism, and poetry of this great literary tradition, from an evening curated by Saunders. In addition to his award-winning short-story anthologies and novel, Saunders teaches at Syracuse University. In “After the Theatre,” by Anton Chekhov, a young girl writes imaginary love letters. The reader is Donna Lynne Champlin. “The Porcelain Doll” by Leo Tolstoy is based on a letter he wrote to his young sister-in...
Too Hot For Radio: Tiphanie Yanique "The Special World"
April 19, 2021 23:34 - 46 minutes - 43 MBA gorgeous story read by actor Hampton Fluker (The Blind Side, Patriots Day, and Shades of Blue) about race, leaving home, and the dramas of young life. After the reading, host Aparna Nancherla talks with the delightful author Tiphanie Yanique about, well, just about everything. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/symphonyspacenyc?code=Splashpage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Make ‘Em Laugh: A Celebration of James Thurber
April 15, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBGuest host Jane Kaczmarek presents a program celebrating the great American humorist in some of the many genres in which he was drop-dead funny. Thurber confesses that he’s all thumbs in “I Break Everything I Touch,” performed by Keith Olbermann. Who knew that The Bard wrote whodunnits? Find out who in “The Macbeth Murder Mystery,” performed by Michael McKean and Susannah Rogers. Kristine Nielsen, Susannah Rogers, and Keith Olbermann perform a selection of Thurber’s fables, and McKean reads “...
Test the Waters
April 08, 2021 17:00 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MBGuest host Hope Davis presents two coming-of-age stories that mingle memory, rebirth, and water. Davis herself reads Elizabeth McCracken’s “It’s Not You,” in which a young woman checks into a grand hotel to cure a broken heart. And from Isaac Babel, the Russian-Jewish author who wrote beguiling tales about the seamy side of early 20th century Odessa, comes "In the Basement.” It has a familiar premise—the unlikely friendship between a poor boy and a rich one. But Babel’s lush descriptions...
Afterlife
April 01, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBGuest host John Darnielle presents favorite works that reflect on life, death and what comes next. He reads Robert Browning’s chilling poem “My Last Duchess;” Molly Ringwald performs “No More Loves,” by Javier Marias, in which a ghost learns to read. Kirsten Vangsness performs Neil Gaiman’s “When We Went to See the End of the World by Dawnie Morningside, Age 11 ¼. The heroine of Robert Aickman’s “Le Miroir,” is mesmerized by an antique looking glass. The reader is Kathryn Erbe. Join a...
Gravitational Forces
March 25, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBGuest host Hope Davis presents three stories involving irresistible impulses and twists of fate. In Shirley Jackson’s “What a Thought” an awful idea threatens a happy marriage. It’s read by Andrea Martin. A science teacher has a crush in Jess Walter’s “Magnificent Desolation,” read by Bobby Cannavale. And “Draft Day” affects the lives of childhood friends from different backgrounds in Rattawut Lapcharoensap’s story, read by BD Wong. Join and give!: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/sy...