wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

In the fall of 2011 we celebrated the long-awaited publication of the big novel IQ84 by the prodigious Japanese writer Haruki Murakami with a Symphony Space marathon SELECTED SHORTS program called “Murakami Madness.”  Earlier in this radio season we’ve heard portions from that epic evening, including the opening chapter of the novel, and several short stories which we selected to show the remarkable range and variety in subject matter, literary imagination, and diverse moods—from provocatively comical to truly frightening—that characterize Murakami’s work.

David Sedaris learns French, and three other tales involving elaborate explanations that only make things worse.

Former Middle East peace negotiator Dennis Ross tells guest host Jonathan Capehart why he believes the Bush administration’s policy in the region is seriously flawed. Then, we hear the true story of how a divorced editor fell in love with an inmate serving a life sentence. And the producer of ...