Selected Shorts, A Celebration of the Short Story: American Classics (Audio CD set)Back-0f-the-box blurb: Recorded live at Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York City and at venues across the United States, these audio anthologies feature short stories from the Selected Shorts program that airs nationwide. More than 300,000 listeners tune in to this offering weekly to hear spellbinding tales read aloud by an assortment of terrific actors.
From the hilarious story of an independent young woman striking out on her own to a sly, creepy tale of a teenage girl’s seduction by a dangerous drifter, this anthology of classic tales presents a diverse collection of great American writers. Lively and entertaining, this compilation features narratives by Edgar Allen Poe, Alice Walker, John Sayles, and Amy Tan as well as performances by Jerry Stiller, Stockard Channing, and Christine Baranski.
She is Too Fond of Books’ thoughts: I was very interested to learn about Symphony Space. This is an organization in the Broadway area which has two parallel missions:
- distributing original programs via radio, podcasts, audio recordings, and national touring
- promoting performance art, literary, and film programs by offering their performance space for rental to artists
Support … enables us to present world-class artists at low ticket prices, free Wall to Wall music marathons, arts education programs for 6,000 New York City school kids and literacy education for 1,500 New York City adults.
Check out the calendar of events; have any of you in the Tri-State area been to a performance at Symphony Space? It sounds like an innovative way to foster new art. There is a special Literature series with a celebrity book club, children’s book club (often hosted by the author), and “selected shorts.”
What are “Selected Shorts,” you ask? This is a set of short stories, read (performed, really) by various guest artists - stage, film, and television actors. These performances are recorded live, enhanced, and packaged as themed CD audiobooks.
I listened to the newest Selected Shorts offering, American Classics(“as heard on public radio nationwide”). This is a collection of eight short stories by American authors, read by such celebrities as Stockard Channing, Malachy McCourt, and Carmen de Lavallade.
The pieces range from 14 to 39 minutes, and are truly performed, not simply read. I appreciated the reactions from the live audience, which enhanced, rather than detracted from, my listening pleasure. It was nice to know that when I was laughing out loud or gasping in response to the story, that I wasn’t alone.
Stories in this set include Amy Tan’s “Rules of the Game” about the chess-playing daughter of Chinese immigrants, Eudora Welty’s “Why I Live at the P.O.” (performed by Stockard Channing who gave life to the attitude of the protagonist), and John Sayles’ “At the Anarchists’ Convention” (Jerry Stiller’s reading of this story had me laughing out loud; my kids raced down to where I was running on the treadmill to see why I was, in their words, “guffawing”!). A complete list of the eight stories, authors, and performers is on the Selected Shorts American Classics web page.
I often share my audiobooks after I’ve listened to them, but I have to say that I’m going to be selfish with this one. Because of the shorter length of each piece, I’ll be able to pop one in the car while I’m out running errands. I’d also like to read these stories; the only one of the eight I had read is Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”.
Other Selected Shorts collections include A Touch of Magic, The William Hurt Collection, Whodunit?, Readers and Writers (isn’t that a perfect theme?!), and Wondrous Women (another collection on my wish list). Each is available as a CD set or MP3 download.
I love short stories, and I love audiobooks, so this series sounds so neat!
I love audiobooks and short stories, too – must look for this series!
That sounds wonderful. I’m currently listening to an audio book performed by actor Steven Weber and I am loving his performance.
Like everyone above me, I do love audios, and I love short stories, but I’ve listened to two short story audios so far and they have not translated well. Perhaps, because these are performed rather than narrated, they are easier to listen to?
Eva – it’s a great combination. The performances are excellent, and, as a wrote, they’ve motivated me to read these particular stories.
JoAnn – I want to check out some of the other themes, too; these “classics” were wonderful.
Kathy – Which audio is that? He must make a super narrator.
Sandy – I haven’t listened to other short stories, but I really like audiobooks in general. Yes, these are performed (more dramatic than simply being read), so they kept my attention.
This sounds like a really unique and interesting idea, and I would love to get my hands on the collection you read! I am so glad that you enjoyed it and will be looking for it as well. It would make a great addition to my nightly walks with the ipod…..
I recently “discovered” short stories again after many years. This collection sounds like a great addition. Thanks for blogging about it.
Thanks for the heads up about this one – audiobooks can made or broken by the quality of the reader or performer – sounds like this collection will have no problem delivering in that category!
I have been to some events at Symphony Space; it’s a great organization.
zibilee – I’m with you! An audiobook on iPod is a great walking companion.
Margot – I’ve been keeping a collection of short stories in the car, as my “short wait” book while picking up the kids, waiting at the Post Office, etc. Are you reading your short stories, or listening to them?
Colleen – oh, you’re the first to write that you’ve been to events there; it seems like a nice venue (actually, a few venues, right?) and a great variety of programs.