More Movement in Short Spurts

If you can't tell already, I don't read a lot of books.  But I like stories.  Getting me to read more has been one by-product of participating in this blog and I'm happy for it all.  Reading is re-shaping my life.  It takes time...usually.  One of the reasons I like my Kindle is that I can "read" a book while doing something else. As long as the book is text-to-speech enabled, I'm good.

My other source of story-while-working is the Podcast.  I used to work at a pharmaceutical company putting together samples.  We would stand around folding boxes listening to KALWs Spider's Web.  I can still remember the theme song!  Three grown women listening to a reading of Little House On The Prairie.  There are still radio stations that broadcast story.  Fortunately, we have the internet.  I got a tweet that Neil Gaiman was hosting one such collection--Selected Shorts--on WNYC. 

Listen to Steven Millhaouser's "Mirror Polish".

In “Miracle Polish,” by Steven Millhauser, the protagonist buys a gimmicky product from a door-to-door salesman that changes his life—or does it?  Gaiman likens Millhauser’s disconcerting fantasy to the fairy tale Snow White, in which the heroine’s wicked stepmother demands reassurance from her mirror.  In “Miracle Polish,” the phlegmatic narrator slowly becomes more and more obsessed by his own reflection. 

Then there's Rey Bradbury's classic, "The Veldt", read by Steven Colbert.  And Leonard Nimoy reading a classic James Thurber, "The Catbird Seat"..

John Lithgow hosts  E. Nesbit's  short fantasy."Melisande", another take on the Rapunzel story, read by Jane Curtin.  

The last five episodes of Selected Shorts is available on iTunes. I'm sorry I didn't get there earlier.  Seems I missed  s lot of excellent readings.    I did score another Nimoy reading. Creepy, but interesting.  "Loving Dickens Too Much".

What memories do you have of story time?  If you could have your perfect radio show of stories, what would it be like?  Who would you want to listen to?