Thursday, October 06, 2005
Monday, October 03, 2005
Friday, September 30, 2005
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Monday, September 19, 2005
"A Conversation with my Father" by Grace Paley
A lovely story about telling stories from a modern American master who has written far too little, but whose political activisim has meant so much. The writer meets her creator and plays a sort of Sheherazade for the dying. Read by Lane Jennings.
More on Grace Paley to come soon...
Lane Jennings is a poet who lives near Washington, D. C.; in his spare time, he is a bookseller, research director of The Futurist magazine, production editor of Future Survey, and author of Virtual Futures.
More on Grace Paley to come soon...
Lane Jennings is a poet who lives near Washington, D. C.; in his spare time, he is a bookseller, research director of The Futurist magazine, production editor of Future Survey, and author of Virtual Futures.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
This site interrupted due to technical difficulties--and laziness
We doubt if anyone out there is waiting with bated breath, but we did want anyone who might stumble upon these pages to know that, due to extreme computer malfunctions, this site is undergoing a temporary hiatus. (We've also been so busy with late-summer visitors that we haven't had a moment free to record anything new.) We promise to come back with a spanking new microphone, the gift of a generous friend, which means better quality recordings for the future!
Don't touch that dial... er, that is don't delete us from your "Favorites" list yet, please!
Don't touch that dial... er, that is don't delete us from your "Favorites" list yet, please!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
"The Younger Sister's Clothes" by Yasunari Kawabata
Two sisters: one a working woman, somewhat embittered, yet persevering; the other, somewhat sheltered, almost too young to be married, yet dying. More than clothes unite these two in a story of devotion and desire. Translated by Lane Dunlop. Read by Scoot.
"Palm-of-the-hand stories" is what Yasunari Kawabata called his short, journalistic fiction which dealth with everyday life and people in Japan. More information about Yasunari Kawabata to come, one we get all these computer problems sorted out!
"Palm-of-the-hand stories" is what Yasunari Kawabata called his short, journalistic fiction which dealth with everyday life and people in Japan. More information about Yasunari Kawabata to come, one we get all these computer problems sorted out!
Thursday, September 08, 2005
"The Wish" by Roald Dahl
"Step on a crack... " When you were a child, perhaps you played games similar to the ones the boy in this story plays. Let us hope your fate was nowhere as dire as his! Read by Scoot.
We dare not speak the name of the famous book and movie which most people--or at least children--know originates with this Welsh author. Well, maybe we can say James and the Giant Peach. But, like Shel Silverstein or even C. S. Lewis, Mr. Dahl was not your typical children's author, but wrote a great deal for adults as well--and his vision was, in general, every bit as misanthropic and eccentric as that character Johnny Depp most recently played. "Nasty" in its most delightfully British connotation might be apt, as well. Whether much of it is "great" literature (whatever that is) or not, his work is enjoyable, and enjoyably packaged in several short story collections. Now, we're sure the interweb is filled with intimate details of Mr. Dahl's life, but here we refrain. We will tell you that both his daughter Tess and granddaughter Sophie are children's book writers. Research him as you will...
We dare not speak the name of the famous book and movie which most people--or at least children--know originates with this Welsh author. Well, maybe we can say James and the Giant Peach. But, like Shel Silverstein or even C. S. Lewis, Mr. Dahl was not your typical children's author, but wrote a great deal for adults as well--and his vision was, in general, every bit as misanthropic and eccentric as that character Johnny Depp most recently played. "Nasty" in its most delightfully British connotation might be apt, as well. Whether much of it is "great" literature (whatever that is) or not, his work is enjoyable, and enjoyably packaged in several short story collections. Now, we're sure the interweb is filled with intimate details of Mr. Dahl's life, but here we refrain. We will tell you that both his daughter Tess and granddaughter Sophie are children's book writers. Research him as you will...
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
"The Black Sheep" by Italo Calvino
This is a short fable about a country whose ethics, in the end, might not be that dissimilar to the one you live in. In a flock of black sheep, it is of course the white one which stands out. Translated from the Italian by Tim Parks and read by Scoot.
You haven't read Numbers in the Dark, the collection where this story originates? Never read Invisible Cities, either? Haven't even heard of If on a Winter's Night a Traveler? The Baron in the Trees? Surely this can't be true, because Italo Calvino is one of the greatest of Italian writers, of the last century or any other. Folk tales inspired him (he anthologized many himself) and tales of imagination and delight poured from his pen; he also published literary essays and transcriptions of his lectures. Interestingly, he was born in Cuba and fought the Nazi occupation of northern Italy during the Second World War. He died twenty years ago, but his legend, as they say, lives on.
By the way, we really do promise to update this website this week and start publishing again on a more regular basis. At least we'll try to!
You haven't read Numbers in the Dark, the collection where this story originates? Never read Invisible Cities, either? Haven't even heard of If on a Winter's Night a Traveler? The Baron in the Trees? Surely this can't be true, because Italo Calvino is one of the greatest of Italian writers, of the last century or any other. Folk tales inspired him (he anthologized many himself) and tales of imagination and delight poured from his pen; he also published literary essays and transcriptions of his lectures. Interestingly, he was born in Cuba and fought the Nazi occupation of northern Italy during the Second World War. He died twenty years ago, but his legend, as they say, lives on.
By the way, we really do promise to update this website this week and start publishing again on a more regular basis. At least we'll try to!
Thursday, September 01, 2005
"Tropism XV" by Nathalie Sarraute
A young woman encounters a much older man at a dinner party in this anecdotal episode. At first he seems to know everything about England and William Thackeray, but what a bore! Read by Scoot.
Along with Alain Robbe-Grillet, Nathalie Sarraute sought to recreate fiction writing with the nouveau roman. However, she wasn't really French by birth, but Russian, and had trained to be a lawyer, not a writer. Serraute nonetheless became an important fixture of twentieth-century French literature, much influenced by Proust and Woolf and praised by luminaries such as Sartre. This short piece is from her first book of stories, which she called "tropisms." She died at the age of 99 in 1999. Quite enough time to reinvent the novel several times!
Along with Alain Robbe-Grillet, Nathalie Sarraute sought to recreate fiction writing with the nouveau roman. However, she wasn't really French by birth, but Russian, and had trained to be a lawyer, not a writer. Serraute nonetheless became an important fixture of twentieth-century French literature, much influenced by Proust and Woolf and praised by luminaries such as Sartre. This short piece is from her first book of stories, which she called "tropisms." She died at the age of 99 in 1999. Quite enough time to reinvent the novel several times!
Sunday, August 28, 2005
"Kisses" by S. P. Elledge
They fell like rain, affecting everyone they touched. Pity the poor narrator, who has yet to be so blessed. Read by Scoot.
This story by the unknown S. P. Elledge, we have discovered, has recently been published in a collection called Ensemble, available at this link.
This story by the unknown S. P. Elledge, we have discovered, has recently been published in a collection called Ensemble, available at this link.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
"Evangelist" by Joyce Cary
A bored, misanthropic Englishman's summer vacation no longer cheers him; maybe it's his attitude, and maybe it's the world. Meeting up with an old acquaintance by chance may or may not make him feel better. Read by Scoot.
If you've read The Horse's Mouth, you've read what we consider one of the most inventive (and most undervalued) novels of the twentieth century, and certainly the best about an artist struggling with his failures. (That novel was one of a trilogy centering around the painter Gulley Jimson.) Joyce Cary, born Arthur Joyce Lunel, had once intended to be a painter himself, but got sidetracked by literature and soon began publishing the novels which made him fairly popular up until his death in 1957 (making the cover of Time along the way). Mister Johnson was the first of several novels set in Africa, based in part upon his experiences as a civil servant and soldier in Nigeria and Cameroon before and during World War I. After the war, Cary moved back to Oxford, England, where his novels followed the social and cultural changes of the country.
If you've read The Horse's Mouth, you've read what we consider one of the most inventive (and most undervalued) novels of the twentieth century, and certainly the best about an artist struggling with his failures. (That novel was one of a trilogy centering around the painter Gulley Jimson.) Joyce Cary, born Arthur Joyce Lunel, had once intended to be a painter himself, but got sidetracked by literature and soon began publishing the novels which made him fairly popular up until his death in 1957 (making the cover of Time along the way). Mister Johnson was the first of several novels set in Africa, based in part upon his experiences as a civil servant and soldier in Nigeria and Cameroon before and during World War I. After the war, Cary moved back to Oxford, England, where his novels followed the social and cultural changes of the country.
Monday, August 22, 2005
"No Cure for It" by Thomas Wolfe
A young boy's growing pains, explored and exacerbated by his parents and his doctor. In the end, the boy must choose whose side he is on. Read by Scoot.
We'll be updating the site this week, with all the promised authors' information, fresh stories, and more. Hang in there!
We'll be updating the site this week, with all the promised authors' information, fresh stories, and more. Hang in there!
Thursday, August 18, 2005
"An Account of the Death of Mr Partridge" by Jonathan Swift
An almanac predicts a man's death--and so the man must die. But not before as much humor as possible is milked from the situation, of course. Read by Scoot.
Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver's Travels, of course... more to come, whenever we get the time!
Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver's Travels, of course... more to come, whenever we get the time!
Monday, August 15, 2005
"Axolotl" by Julio Cortázar
As in the Mexican salamander or "water dog," a creature with amazing regnerative properties and equally amazing metamorphic qualities... The narrator observes them closely in Paris and perhaps go a bit too far in identifying with his amphibious friends. Read by Sushma Joshi.
Details about Argentine writer Julio Cortázar to come (sorry, we're still traveling!)
Sushma Joshi is a fiction writer, playwright, magazine editor, filmmaker, journalist, and all-round cultural phenomenon from Kathmandu, Nepal. She is currently working on a documentary in Manhattan after a busy summer earning an advanced degree in Vermont. Soon enough she will be back in Asia, working on yet more new and exciting artistic projects.
Details about Argentine writer Julio Cortázar to come (sorry, we're still traveling!)
Sushma Joshi is a fiction writer, playwright, magazine editor, filmmaker, journalist, and all-round cultural phenomenon from Kathmandu, Nepal. She is currently working on a documentary in Manhattan after a busy summer earning an advanced degree in Vermont. Soon enough she will be back in Asia, working on yet more new and exciting artistic projects.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Thursday, August 11, 2005
"Do You Like It Here?" by John O'Hara
The new boy in a boarding school is grilled by a suspicious master. The boy has been in and out of enough schools to know what he's up against. Read by Jonathan Strong.
We're off hiking! Details about John O'Hara to come...
We're off hiking! Details about John O'Hara to come...
Monday, August 08, 2005
"Powerhouse" by Eudora Welty
Listen! The charismatic, stupendously talented bluesman known as Powerhouse has come to town! Hear him as he pounds the piano, rouses his audience from their complacence, and evolves into a character (based on Fats Waller) you will likely never forget. Read by David Huddle.
Jackson, Mississippi's favorite daughter, Eduora Welty spent most of her life there, from 1909 to 2001. During the Great Depression of the 1930's, she worked as a photographer for the Works Progress Administration, but soon turned her attention to writing. Eventually she became one of America's favorite authors, far outstripping the "Southern Gothic" label she is often tagged with. Although she wrote several novels, including The Robber Bridegroom, The Golden Apples, and The Optimist's Daughter, she is perhaps best known for her short stories, of which this is one of her most popular. You might also remember stories such as "Why I Live at the P.O.," "A Curtain of Green," "The Petrified Man," and "Death of a Traveling Salesman," collected in many different volumes. One Writer's Beginnings, the story of how she matured into a storyteller, was one of her last and most enduring books. After a long and successful life, she left us in the first year of the twenty-first century, leaving behind a beloved reputation and oeuvre.
David Huddle is the James Brown of American literature: the hardest working writer we know. He has expended his considerable creative energies in an amazing variety of forms, from short fiction to novellas to novels to poetry to plays to memoir and essays. Just a few of his many books are La Tour Dreams of the Wolf Girl (a novel), Grayscale (poems), Intimates (short stories), The Writing Habit (essays), and Tenorman (a play). A native of Ivanhoe, Virginia, he now lives in Vermont, where he teaches at the University of Vermont in Burlington. We thank him for taking time out of his busy summer teaching schedule to read this story for us!
Jackson, Mississippi's favorite daughter, Eduora Welty spent most of her life there, from 1909 to 2001. During the Great Depression of the 1930's, she worked as a photographer for the Works Progress Administration, but soon turned her attention to writing. Eventually she became one of America's favorite authors, far outstripping the "Southern Gothic" label she is often tagged with. Although she wrote several novels, including The Robber Bridegroom, The Golden Apples, and The Optimist's Daughter, she is perhaps best known for her short stories, of which this is one of her most popular. You might also remember stories such as "Why I Live at the P.O.," "A Curtain of Green," "The Petrified Man," and "Death of a Traveling Salesman," collected in many different volumes. One Writer's Beginnings, the story of how she matured into a storyteller, was one of her last and most enduring books. After a long and successful life, she left us in the first year of the twenty-first century, leaving behind a beloved reputation and oeuvre.
David Huddle is the James Brown of American literature: the hardest working writer we know. He has expended his considerable creative energies in an amazing variety of forms, from short fiction to novellas to novels to poetry to plays to memoir and essays. Just a few of his many books are La Tour Dreams of the Wolf Girl (a novel), Grayscale (poems), Intimates (short stories), The Writing Habit (essays), and Tenorman (a play). A native of Ivanhoe, Virginia, he now lives in Vermont, where he teaches at the University of Vermont in Burlington. We thank him for taking time out of his busy summer teaching schedule to read this story for us!
Saturday, August 06, 2005
"The Smallest Woman in the World" by Clarice Lispector
Deep in the forests of the Congo, a French explorer discovers--you guessed it. What this tiny woman invokes in those who learn of her varies from houseold to household and from heart to heart. Read by Scoot.
Though she was born in the Ukraine and had first intended to become a lawyer, Clarice Lispector became one of Brazil's most well-known and celebrated writers. This story is translated by another very well-known writer, the American poet Elizabeth Bishop, who was on and off a resident of Brazil herself. You might call "The Smallest Woman," as one critic has, "an ironic study of racism and sexism." But it also reflects the inherent poetry which Bishop must have admired and which made Lispector's books such as Beside the Savage Heart and The Apple in the Dark such successes. (Those of you who have read Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory might see something here akin to the Oompa Loompas in that book.) Lispector, our sources note, saw snow for the first time in 1947 (she was born in 1920, died in 1977). In 1967 she was severely burned while falling asleep while smoking a cigarette (another reason not to start, kids!). And in 1975 she took part in the Witches' World Conference in Bogota, Colombia. Oh, the things you can discover on the Interweb!
Though she was born in the Ukraine and had first intended to become a lawyer, Clarice Lispector became one of Brazil's most well-known and celebrated writers. This story is translated by another very well-known writer, the American poet Elizabeth Bishop, who was on and off a resident of Brazil herself. You might call "The Smallest Woman," as one critic has, "an ironic study of racism and sexism." But it also reflects the inherent poetry which Bishop must have admired and which made Lispector's books such as Beside the Savage Heart and The Apple in the Dark such successes. (Those of you who have read Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory might see something here akin to the Oompa Loompas in that book.) Lispector, our sources note, saw snow for the first time in 1947 (she was born in 1920, died in 1977). In 1967 she was severely burned while falling asleep while smoking a cigarette (another reason not to start, kids!). And in 1975 she took part in the Witches' World Conference in Bogota, Colombia. Oh, the things you can discover on the Interweb!
Thursday, August 04, 2005
"The Porcelain Doll" by Leo Tolstoy
The writer, Tolstoy himself, is under the impression that his wife has turned into a porcelain doll. And for a time, they both rather like it. Read by Jonathan Strong.
This story is contained within a letter written by Leo Tolstoy to his sister-in-law Tanya, the model for Natasha in War and Peace. The letter was begun by Tolstoy's wife, Sonya, half a year after they were married, but finished by Leo himself. (Perhaps Sonya really had turned into a porcelain doll--for a while, at least!) The first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Tolstoy was perhaps the greatest writer and thinker of nineteenth-century Russia. His epic novel War and Peace covers nearly two-thousand pages, but this tiny story is contained within only three. You of course know or have heard of Anna Karenina and Resurrection, his other two novels, and most likely know, too, that he wrote numerous novellas, war stories, an autobiography, and plays. At the end of his life he gave up fiction for religious philosophy, but not before having already been a huge influence on all Russian (and world) literature to come.
Jonathan Strong needs no introduction here, but you can check out reprints of some of his older books at xlibris.com.
This story is contained within a letter written by Leo Tolstoy to his sister-in-law Tanya, the model for Natasha in War and Peace. The letter was begun by Tolstoy's wife, Sonya, half a year after they were married, but finished by Leo himself. (Perhaps Sonya really had turned into a porcelain doll--for a while, at least!) The first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Tolstoy was perhaps the greatest writer and thinker of nineteenth-century Russia. His epic novel War and Peace covers nearly two-thousand pages, but this tiny story is contained within only three. You of course know or have heard of Anna Karenina and Resurrection, his other two novels, and most likely know, too, that he wrote numerous novellas, war stories, an autobiography, and plays. At the end of his life he gave up fiction for religious philosophy, but not before having already been a huge influence on all Russian (and world) literature to come.
Jonathan Strong needs no introduction here, but you can check out reprints of some of his older books at xlibris.com.
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