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The great epics of literature, from Homer to Beowulf to the “Song of Roland” and Dante’s DIVINE COMEDY are not short stories: for one thing they are all rather long. But they were intended to be read—or sung—aloud before enraptured audiences. We’ll hear two such readings on this program.

First, from the ILIAD of Homer, we hear the thrilling final battle to the death between the Greek besieger Achilles and the Trojan defender Hector. The reading makes use of the brilliant English version by the late Robert Fagles, who turns Homer’s dactylic hexameters into wonderfully flowing, evocative, and modern-sounding English verse. This moving reading was performed by Stephen Lang.

Our next epic author, Dante Aleghieri, was at least a couple of thousand years younger than Homer, living from 1265 to 1321. The Florentine poet’s great epic The Divine Comedy, written in terza rima stanzas in a combination of Tuscan Italian and Latin, is a journey in three parts, Hell, or the Inferno, Purgatorio, and finally, Paradiso. In “The Inferno”, Dante is guided on his tour of Hell by the Roman epic poet Virgil, who takes him through the successive circles of hell, pointing out the celebrity sinners as they writhe in torment, or just stand around hoplessly, having read the sign over the entrance “Lasciate Ogni Speranza, Voi Ch’entrata,”—Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter.

We’ll hear Cantos IV and V, culminating in the travellers’ encounter with the tragic lovers Paolo and Francesca. The English text is from the poet Daniel Halpern’s wonderful volume: DANTE’S INFERNO: TRANSLATIONS BY TWENTY CONTEMPORARY POETS . Canto IV was translated by Mark Strand, and Canto V by Daniel Halpern himself. The reader is the actress and director Phylicia Rashad.

The third story on our program is derived from a more contemporary epic, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Paul West’s “Captain Ahab, A Novel by the White Whale,” is a short but compelling meditation on that epic novel in the voice of the great white whale himself, or herself, (it’s not clear.) The events of the Melville novel are all over, and the massive white swimmer looks down at the skeleton of its nemesis Ahab still tangled and attached by rope and harpoon.

Paul West was born in England, served in the Royal Air Force, and moved to America for a life of teaching and prolific publication. His white whale is wonderfully realized, including the sound of the blow hole, by Diane Venora.

The musical interlude in this program is “The Death of Hector”, from James Horner’s score for “Troy”. The SELECTED SHORTS theme is Roger Kellaway’s “Come to the Meadow.”

“The Death of Hector: from The Iliad by Homer read by Stephen Lang
Cantos IV and V from Dante’s Inferno read by Phylicia Rashad
“Captain Ahab, A Novel by the White Whale,” by Paul West, read by Diane Venora

For additional works featured on SELECTED SHORTS, please visit Symphony Space

We’re interested in your response to these programs. Please comment on this site or visit www.selectedshorts.org

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Contest Have you always wanted to try your hand at a story story? Here’s your chance: our annual writing contest. Go here for details of the 2009 contest.

Listener’s choice! On June 9th, 2010, SELECTED SHORTS at Symphony Space in New York will feature stories selected by our nationwide audience. Go here to submit your suggestions for a published story you think we should read. Then in the spring, you’ll vote for your favorite from among the final contenders.