Recommended to Public Libraries, especially those with lots of commuters.Īdditional material includes William Hurt in conversation with Selected Shorts host Isaiah Sheffer. The live audio performance in front of an audience gives a sense of communality but as in other Selected Shorts editions, is slightly disconcerting when listened to through headphones. s captivating A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times centers on two. He aptly brings the characters thoughts to life, flawlessly recounting stories even while pausing for laughter from the audience (and occasionally himself). The second story on this episode is performed by Chinasa Ogbuagu. Hurt’s recitation is subtle and heartfelt throughout, unfolding each story beautifully. All 4 stories are narrated by William Hurt. Or in Richard Ford’s Communist (1984) in which a young man goes goose hunting with his mother’s communist ex-boyfriend and accidentally discovers himself becoming a man along the way.

As in Towel Season by Ron Carlson (1999) when a mathematician loses his way and finds himself again in a stretched summer filled with his previously ignored family and parties and other people’s colorful pool towels. Symphony Space is a performing arts center based in New York City that fosters artistically and culturally diverse performing arts, literary, and film programs that bring artists and audiences together in an atmosphere of exploration and intimacy. Bittersweet is the underlying theme in this latest edition of Selected Shorts.

Symphony space short stories