Npr: Selected Shorts

Arts

It's story time for adults with NPR's award-winning series of short fiction read by the stars of stage and screen. Recorded live at Peter Norton Symphony Space in NYC and on tour. A co-production of Symphony Space and WNYC, New York Public Radio. (Author: Selected Shorts)

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Recent episodes from Npr: Selected Shorts

Tales That Surprise
Published: Nov 9, 09
The heroine of Amy Hempel's road trip tale, "Jesus is Waiting," is working through a personal crisis by driving endlessly on America's Interstate highways and turnpikes. The reader is Mary Stuart Masterson. Second, graphic novelist Shaun Tan gives us a glimpse of a world within a world in "No Other Country," read by Campbell Scott. Our Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Writing Contest winner last year was Daniela Maristany; her story "Swimmers" is a touching snapshot of family life. Our
Tales From The Great Epics
Published: Nov 2, 09
This program features powerful narratives drawn from Homer's Iliad and the "Inferno" section of Dante Aleghieri's Divine Comedy. First, Stephen Lang reads "The Death of Hector," followed by Phylicia Rashad's rendering of Cantos IV and V of the "Inferno," in which the poet/guide Virgil leads Dante through the outer circles of Hell, and introduces him to the tragic lovers Paolo and Francesca. The third story is derived from Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Paul West's "Captain Ahab, A Novel by the
Women On The Move
Published: Oct 26, 09
This program features three stories about women in transition—geographically, morally, or emotionally. Shereen Pandit's "She Shall Not Be Moved" features a political exile who experiences a crisis of conscience during an incident on a London bus. The reader is Rita Wolf. The program's second story, Andrea's Levy's "Loose Change," also takes place in London, and involves ?migr?s from different worlds. The story is read by Eve Best. Back in America, Molly Giles' whimsical story "Pie Dan
A Tale Of Terror
Published: Oct 19, 09
This entire program is given over to a sensational psychological ghost story, "The Bees," by Dan Chaon, author of the critically acclaimed novel, Await Your Reply. The story comes from the world in between nightmare and reality, and was inspired by the idea of exploring secrets in a marriage. The reader is four-time Tony Award-winner Boyd Gaines.
French Fictions
Published: Oct 12, 09
This French-themed program includes a story is by the 19th-century master Guy de Maupassant. His "A Parisian Affair" depicts the adventures of a bored provincial housewife seeking the Paris of her fantasies. It was read by stage and screen star Rene Auberjonois. Our second reading is an excerpt from Faiza Guene's novel KIFFE KIFFE TOMORROW, in which a feisty Moslem teenager comes of age in the public housing projects of a Paris suburb. It is read by Sonia Manzano. And our final story is a
Refresh, Refresh
Published: Sep 8, 08
This week our readings focus on war and the effect of war on the family.First Benjamin Percy's story "Refresh, Refresh" which was chosen as a Best AmericanShort Story of 2006. Our story is read by the actor, Ted Marcoux. His many televisioncredits include stints on shows such as Law and Order, 24 and Boston Public. Writersoften write about war but this week we get to hear from soldiers who have been towar. Operation Homecoming is the result of hundreds of writing workshops conductedwith sold
How Do You Measure A Marriage?
Published: Sep 1, 08
Two stories about love and loss: The award-winning actress, Stockard Channing, reads Lyudmilla Ignatenko's "A Solitary Human Voice" a touching memoir of her last days with her husband, a victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. "Do You Know Where I Am," by the noted Native American writer Sherman Alexie is about a middle class Native American couple struggling with the difficult but rewarding job of craftingan enduring marriage. His story is read by the actor Keir Dullea, and is followedby an
Straying Spouses And Brave New Words
Published: Aug 28, 08
This week we listen to a story from that established master of short stories, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Cheever, as well as new writers from our adult literacy program, "All Write!" John Cheever's story "The Trouble of Marcie Flint" is read by Tony Award winner Fritz Weaver.
Straying Spouses And Brave New Worlds.
Published: Aug 25, 08
This week we listen to a tale from the established master of short stories, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, John Cheever and new writers from, Selected Short's adult literacy program, "All Write!" John Cheever's story, "The Trouble of Marcie Flint," is read by the Tony-award winning actor Fritz Weaver. "All Write!" stories are read by Sydia Cedeno, Ruben Santiago Hudson, and Shorts host, Isaiah Sheffer.
Love, Lost And Found, And A Fish.
Published: Aug 18, 08
In David Means' "The Secret Goldfish" the life of the family fish seems to parallel that of the family itself. The story is read by Charles Keating. Winesburg, Ohio author Sherwood Anderson's "The Other Woman" is a tale of true love and temptation. It is read by Keir Dullea.
In Vino, Veritas
Published: Aug 11, 08
The humorous stories in this week's program are about wine and wine culture. Roald Dahl's (a well-known children's book author) tale is set at an elegant dinner party, and involves a high stakes wager. The story, "Taste," is read by the Tony- and Emmy-award winning actor, John Lithgow. James Thurber's "How to Tell a Fine Old Wine," pokes fun at wine snobbery, and was read by television actor Raphael Sbarge.
Friendship And Loyalty
Published: Aug 4, 08
Both stories on this week's program recall old friendships. Edith Wharton's "The Debt," is a tale of character, loyalty, and cutting edge science (for its time). The reader is Tony Award-winner James Naughton. Maile Meloy's poignant "Acqua Boulevard," set in Paris, was read by SELECTED SHORTS host Isaiah Sheffer.
Old Friends, Old Memories
Published: Jul 28, 08
"Justice Shiva Ram Murthy," by Rishi Reddi, is an incisive, tender and humorous tale of personal dignity and an old friendship put to the test. The reader is stage and screen star Aasif Mandvi. The program concludes with Leigh Allison Wilson's brief but evocative "Bullhead," a dreamlike recollection of past love and its impact on love in the present. It is read by performance artist Dawn Akemi Saito,
Operation Homecoming
Published: Jul 21, 08
This special SELECTED SHORTS features works drawn from the remarkable volume Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families. The book may be the first documenting a war as it is still underway, in the words of ordinary men and women pushed to extraordinary insights by the weight of their experiences. The remarkable ensemble cast reading these works includes award-winning actors Joan Allen, Chris Chalk, Stephen Lang, and Matthew Modin
?the Eyes? Have It.
Published: Jul 14, 08
In Edith Wharton's gripping fantasy, "The Eyes" a group of gentlemen has just finished telling ghost stories for their own amusement when their host irrevocably alters things with a personal narrative both gripping and grotesque. SHORTS host Isaiah Sheffer calls reader Charles Keating "a master of the macabre"—listen to how he comes to grips with Wharton's densely layered work.