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This week’s story selection has a wide geographical span: one story about a Russian immigrant to the city of London, and one that culminates in the wide American West. Our first reading is an excerpt from Rose Tremain’s novel, THE ROAD HOME, which was featured on a program of stories presented at Symphony Space entitled “PASSPORT TO LONDON.” Rose Tremain is the author of nine novels, including Music and Silence and Sacred Country and three story collections, including Evangelista's Fan and Other Stories. She also broadcasts book reviews on London radio. THE ROAD HOME received the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction, and in the excerpt featured here, an impoverished Russian newcomer struggles to find a job in big, unfriendly London. The reader is a Paul Hecht, with whom we talked about his career.

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SELECTED SHORTS has featured stories about people of every kind, and even many about all sorts of animals, but this program marks an unusual milestone—our first story about a man’s suit. The impeccably tailored, perfectly fitting, wrinkle-resistant suit that is the hero of Todd McEwen’s humorous essay, “Cary Grant’s Suit” is the one the actor wears throughout his many adventures in Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest.” And whether issuing from a Madison Avenue office, being chased by a crop-duster airplane through the cornfields, or scrambling around the rocky faces of Mount Rushmore, McEwen maintains that Grant’s famous suavity can all be creted to this indestructable suit. The reader is James Cromwell, whose own range of roles is also adventurous, ranging from “Babe”’s Farmer Hoggett, to William Randolph Hearst (“RKO 28”) to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (“The Queen”).

The musical interlude in this program is “Come with Me Anyway”, on the album “Two Siberians Out of Nowhere.” The SELECTED SHORTS theme is Roger Kellaway’s “Come to the Meadow.”

“The Road Home,” by Rose Tremain, read by Paul Hecht “Cary Grant’s Suit,” by Todd McEwen, read by James Cromwell.

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 to https://www.symphonyspace.org/writing_contest/ 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 to http://www.symphonyspace.org/shorts/audience_picks 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.