Rea Award for the Short Story: A Tribute Part 2

Sunday, March 23, 2008

“A short story has always been somewhat between a longer fiction novel and a poem ... it has that delicacy which a poem can have of not a word being out of place ... a novel has to have those heavy elephant legs to somehow carry you through the 300 pages. Whereas a short story can jut flit into your consciousness and be gone.” —John Updike, speaking at a tribute to the Rea Award for the Short Story.

The second of two special programs celebrating a sustaining gift to the literary community.

The Rea Award for the Short Story: A Tribute

Sunday, March 16, 2008

“‘The short story is not a novel that will never be and it is not a poem stretched long. It is itself with all its possibilities and limitations, and…the writers’ use of language and their ability to stand firm for a moment within language’s slipperiness should make us feel not just empowered, but humbled….”
—Ann Beattie, in a tribute to the Rea Award for the Short Story.

People with Problems

Sunday, March 09, 2008

“‘Find the chef,’ the groom called.
‘To the kitchen!’, the bride said.
‘To the kitchen!’ the crowd chanted.
Like a horde they rose to their feet and surged towards the Amerigos, wearing dangerous smiles.”
—David Schickler, “Wes Amerigo’s Giant Fear”
A gifted child transforms a community with her cooking, and a neurotic meets his match.

Overwhelmed

Sunday, March 02, 2008

“A charity performance was staged in town. I went into the Governor’s box, having been invited in the interval, and there was Ann Lugonavich, sitting by the Governor’s wife. Again, I was struck by that same irresistible, vibrant beauty, by that charming, friendly expression in her eyes….”—Anton Chekhov, “Concerning Love.”
A woman consumed by grief has an epiphany; Chekhovian lovers suffer.