Synopses & Reviews
Recorded live at the 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 some of their favorite tales read aloud by an assortment of distinguished actors. From a Bosnian man's struggle to make a new life in America to a teenage boy's relationship with his single mother and her new boyfriend against the background of the stark Montana landscapethis collection of poignant, romantic, and funny tales is performed entirely by the Academy Awardwinning actor William Hurt. Featured stories include Ron Carlson's "Towel Season," Richard Ford's "Communist," Aleksandar Hemon's "Blind Josef Pronek," and Tobias Wolff's "Nightingale." The CD also includes an interview with William Hurt.
Review
"From the solemn to the amusing, Hurt illustrates his range in front of an audience. Hurt works well with the different tones and styles of the stories, and his delivery is well received by the audience." Publishers Weekly
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"Recommended for all large public libraries." Library Journal
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"In each of the readings, including Richard Ford's Communist and Ron Carlson's Towel Season, Hurt's talent for creating a quiet yet evocative performance is showcased." Kirkus Reviews
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"Selected Shorts is one of the best evenings of the theatre." David Sedaris
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"Symphony Space is the angel of the short story." Grace Paley
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"Some of the more intelligent short stories in audiobook land are on the yearly release of Selected Shorts by Symphony Space." The Boston Globe
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"Hearing, rather than reading, a wonderful storyeven one as familiar as Shirley Jackson's 'Country Lovers' or Richard Ford's 'The Communist'makes it fresh and new when performed by such actors as William Hurt and Robert Sean Leonard." Chicago Tribune
Synopsis
Featured stories include Ron Carlson's "Towel Season," Richard Ford's "Communist," Aleksandar Hemon's "Blind Josef Pronek," and Tobias Wolff's "Nightingale." Also includes an interview with William Hurt.
About the Author
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. This organization reaches audiences throughout New York City, the wider metropolitan area, andthrough distribution of programs via media such as radio, recordings, podcasts, and touringthe nation.