American Classics

Starred review from February 25, 2008
According to these well-chosen stories, a “wondrous woman” is foxy, resilient, stubborn and a bit magical. In David Haynes's “Taking Miss Kezee to the Polls,” the title character is a fiery octogenarian with a flaming red wig to match. Michael Genet delivers Miss Kezee's sassy proclamations with aplomb and brilliantly renders the bewilderment and compassion of the good-hearted young man who has been delegated to chauffeur her around town. In Kim Edward's “The Story of My Life,” Holly Hunter is pitch-perfect as the spunky teenage daughter of an antiabortion activist, reclaiming her right to individual choices. Two of the stories involve a touch of magical realism. In Allan Gurganis's “It Had Wings,” a frail widow takes full advantage of an angel who falls into her yard. Marian Seldes performs the woman's narrative slowly and carefully as surely such a woman would address us. In contrast, Kathleen Chalfant takes us slowly but sensuously through a “humble bank clerk's lust for “The Red Fox Coat” she covets until she becomes one with it. This touching and hilarious collection of well-crafted tales is beautifully rendered by its performers.

Starred review from June 1, 2010
This latest addition to Symphony Space's "Selected Shorts" series, three of whose previous entries were Audie Award nominees, presents eight classic American short stories performed by an eclectic group of eight actors. Each performer breathes life into his/her story, transporting listeners to another place and time. Stockard Channing's presentation of Eudora Welty's "Why I Live at the P.O." and Malachy McCourt's interpretation of John Cheever's "Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor" are particularly noteworthy. Other writers whose work is featured here include Alice Walker, Donald Barthelme, Joyce Carol Oates, and Edgar Allan Poe. This title will be popular with fans of Symphony Space's "Selected Shorts" public radio series, from which these performances derive, appreciators of short stories, and generally anyone who enjoys masterly audio performances.Donna Bachowski, Orange Cty. Lib. Syst., Orlando, FL

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 31, 2008
Like life itself, these stories are more about the journey than the destination. Trains, planes and automobiles form the loose thematic center. Gellhorn's “Miami–New York,” read by Joanna Gleason, is a 50-minute tale of two strangers who find temporary intimacy on a long flight. Gleason brings out all the subtle interchanges between an army captain and a lonely wife. David Rakoff also does an admirable job with Thurber's “A Ride with Olympy,” which pairs two motorists with dubious driving and linguistic skills. But like an old car, the story is slow to reach full speed, and Rakoff's mouth-smacking noises are distracting. Sonia Manzano shows a wonderful talent for dialogue as she performs Edward P. Jones's touching story about a lonely single mother seeking companionship on “An Orange Line Train to Ballston.” In Dorothy Thomas's “The Getaway,” Mia Dillon captures the Midwestern accents of a woman and her ornery son. While the stories are a mixed bag, enough of them are good enough to be worth the ride.

Starred review from May 3, 2010
Recorded live at Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York City and on tour around the U.S., this collection features works from a wide swath of genres and masters of the genre including Eudora Welty and Edgar Allan Poe and such inspired writer-reader pairings as John Cheever and Malachy McCourt. David Strathairn’s tone and pacing produce a standout rendition of Donald Barthelme’s “Game”; Christine Baranski delivers a chilling performance of the Joyce Carol Oates classic “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” and Jerry Stiller’s hammy rendition of John Sayles’s “At the Anarchists’ Convention” brings down the house and is worth the price of the collection alone.