Family Matters

Broadway and television star B.D. Wong

Four poignant and humorous stories about families -- read by stars of stage and screen Lois Smith, B.D. Wong and others.

On this hour of "Selected Shorts: Four stories about families and children by classic and contemporary writers.

"Charles" is a surprisingly light-hearted tale by Shirley Jackson read by Lois Smith.
From:  "The Lottery and Other Stories" (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

Next, Israeli writer Etgar Keret's "Pride and Joy," in which a childhood prodigy takes a toll on his parents. The reader is Tony Award- winner Robert Sean Leonard.
From:  "The Nimrod Flipout" (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

In Jeanne Dixon's "Blue Waltz with Coyotes," a brother and sister have an adventure in the wild—and get to know each other. The reader is Mia Dillon.
From:  "The Best of Montana’s Short Fiction" (The Lyons Press)

Finally, Rick Moody's poignant story, "Boys," poetically chronicles the life of two brothers from birth to adulthood. The reader is Broadway and television star B.D. Wong.
From:  "Demonology" (Back Bay/Little Brown)

There are currently a dozen "Selected Shorts" thematic CDs, which feature listeners' best-loved stories, including "Baseball!," "Timeless Classics," "Food Fictions," "Travel Tales," "Falling in Love," "Edith Wharton," and most recently, "Pets!," "Tales of Betrayal," "Family Matters" and "Wartime Lives." Visit the PRI Store to purchase CDs.

More "Selected Shorts"