Selected Shorts: American Classics

By: Amy Tan, Donald Barthelme, Eudora Welty, Edgar Allan Poe, Joyce Carol Oates, John Sayles, Alice Walker

Narrated by: Freda Foh Shen, David Strathairn, Stockard Channing, René Auberjonois, Christine Baranski, Jerry Stiller, Malachy McCourt

A compilation of classic tales by great American writers performed by terrific actors, with a lineup including Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners, and PEN Award winners.

• Amy Tan's "Rules of the Game", performed by Freda Foh Shen. A strict Chinese mother bedevils her chess prodigy daughter.
• Donald Barthelme's "Game", performed by David Strathairn. Playing cosmic chicken in a nuclear bunker.
• Eudora Welty's "Why I Live at the P.O.", performed by Stockard Channing. Hilarious story of an independent young woman striking out on her own.
• Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" performed by René Auberjonois. Terrifyingly delicious Poe masterpiece.
• Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" performed by Christine Baranski. Sly, creepy tale of a teenage girl’s seduction by a dangerous drifter.
• John Sayles' "At the Anarchists’ Convention", performed by Jerry Stiller. Laugh-out-loud classic.
• Alice Walker's "Everyday Use", performed by Carmen de Lavallade. Siblings disagree about a precious piece of their family heritage.
• John Cheever's "Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor", performed by Malachy McCourt. A high-rise elevator operator is overwhelmed by his riders’ holiday generosity.

©2010 Symphony Space (P)2010 Symphony Space

Have a listen . This is very enjoyable! Very funny

Sweet stories! Well worth the time. I find myself wanting to hear them all again.

Classics

This is a fantastic collection of short stories by some of America's greatest writers.

Amy Tan's "Rules of the Game", performed by Freda Foh Shen. 4.5 stars - I loved this story about a young Chinese girl who becomes a chess prodigy. The relationship which Amy Tan depicts between the strict mother and her young daughter is priceless!

Donald Barthelme's "Game", performed by David Strathairn. 4.5 - Wow! A humorous look at what would happen when two people are left in the nuclear bunker for too long.

Eudora Welty's "Why I Live at the P.O.", performed by Stockard Channing. 4 - Funny story about family and getting away from them

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" performed by René Auberjonois. 4.5 - Classic Poe masterpiece.

Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" performed by Christine Baranski. 4
-Creepy and disturbing - really well written - 4.5

John Sayles' "At the Anarchists’ Convention", performed by Jerry Stiller. - Humorous 4

Alice Walker's "Everyday Use", performed by Carmen de Lavallade. 4
-A glimpse of how siblings look at family treasures differently

John Cheever's "Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor", performed by Malachy McCourt. 4
-Funny story about the kindness people have towards each other at Christmas.

Classic classics

I am a very big fan of short stories and have listened to the Selected Shorts program for over 20 years. Any collection can be hit or miss, but this selection of american classics are all big hits. I liked every story and every reader. The stories range from funny to outrageous and touching to creepy. What more could one ask for?

Performances are superb!

Dude seriously. Listening to these performances makes me feel like I’m going to be a better/more imaginative reader in the future. Big fan :)

Spectacular

Would you listen to Selected Shorts: American Classics again? Why?

Yes, I'm pretty sure I'll return to it more than once.

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is worth buying for Stockard Channing's reading of 'Why I live at the PO' and Joyce Carol Oates' disturbing 'Where are you going, where have you been' read so well by Christine Baranksi. I loved Jerry Stiller's reading of At the Anarchist's Convention too. But really, the whole collection is outstanding and every reader is brilliant.

Which scene was your favorite?

I kept laughing out loud on the bus listening to 'Why I live at the PO', and ended up in a foetal position listening to 'Where are you going ...'