"Word for Word always finds a creative way to make the jumps in time and space prevalent in literature still work on the stage, and the audio drama format is a natural pandemic-era home for these lovers of storytelling and imagination."
—Lily Janiak, SF Chronicle
“The stellar company, it turns out, enhances literature in the audio format just as beautifully as it has always done onstage.”
—Jean Schiffman, SF Examiner
How to Listen to the Podcast:
Right here on this page! Click on the play buttons below to listen to stories as they are released..
The podcast is on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, just click on the icons below, or open one of the apps and search for “WORD for WORDcast.” Be sure to subscribe or follow so you get reminders whenever there is a new episode! We may also be on many other major distribution services like Pandora, I Heart Radio, and others. (Please note that if you are on a desktop or laptop, there is no Apple Podcast App, go to iTunes instead.)
To maximize your experience, we recommend listening with headphones or good stereo speakers.
Released Stories:
The Appropriation of Cultures By Percival Everett
Released August 3, 2021
Directed by Rami Margron with original music by Marcus Shelby
Percival Everett has said: “Since telling the South Carolina State Legislature in 1989 that I couldn’t continue my address because of the presence of such a conspicuous sign of exclusion [the confederate flag], I have not really considered South Carolina.” This is a wickedly subversive story, about symbols and their meaning. "The Appropriation of Cultures" was written in 1996, and published in Everett's 2004 story collection, Damned If I Do, by Graywolf Press.
This episode also features a conversation between director Rami Margron, composer Marcus Shelby, and dramaturg Lindsay Jenkins following the story.
UPCOMING STORIES:
A PAIR OF EYEGLASSES
by Anna Maria Ortese
Once released, you can stream from this page
Directed by Rotimi Agbabiaka
In Anna Maria Ortese‘s story “A Pair of Eyeglasses” young Eugenia, born with severe myopia, is promised an expensive pair of eyeglasses. She imagines the shimmering beauty she will see, but with her newfound eyesight becomes aware of class distinction in her poor neighborhood in Naples.Filled with a rich Neapolitan street life and vibrant community "A Pair of Eyeglasses" is considered a classic of 20th century Italian literature.
—"It is a gaze that has no equal in Italian literature." (Los Angeles Review of Books)
HOME by George Saunders
Once released, you can stream from this page
Directed by Sheila Balter
"Home" by George Saunders was first published in The New Yorker, June 13 & 20, 2011.
The story of a vet, returning from the war only to discover family trouble at home. Of "Home", George Saunders says, "If you send four hundred thousand people into a shitstorm, don’t expect everybody to come back smelling like roses. Some of them are going to come back damaged. To show ourselves to be an honorable culture, we have to step up and deal with them with all the generosity and love we can summon, or shame on us."
Performed with permission of the author. Credits and Biographies below.
On a related note, we’d like to recommend the In the First Version of the Story by the Home’s Dramaturg John M. Meyer. It touches on many themes that are also applicable to this story.
RAYMOND'S RUN
AND
BLUES AIN'T NO MOCKIN BIRD
BY TONI CADE BAMBARA
Once released you can stream on this page
Directed by Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe
Two stories from Toni Cade Bambara's celebrated collection, Gorilla, My Love. A neighborhood track meet and unexpected visitors to a family farm provide upbeat looks at girlhood and community bonds. "Raymond's Run" is a commentary on how girls are encouraged to compete: but our heroine "Squeaky" transforms a community track meet to a growing awareness of her brother and his disabilities, which prevent him not at all from the joys of running. She sees a path to positive community energy and cooperation for all. "Blues Ain't No Mockin Bird" shows another young girl, and her family's steady, spirited response when filmmakers unabashedly show up to film the family farm for a food stamp program. With her vibrant young narrators, Bambara skewers pretension and presumption.
Raymond's Run and Blues Ain't No Mockin Bird are performed with permission of Toni Cade Bambara's daughter, Karma B. Smith.
This first season of the WORDforWORDcast ran from September 2020 and January 2021 and included Stories from Greg Sarris, E.M. Forster, and Anita Cabrera
If you want to broadcast the show, discuss podcast cross-promotion, or for other partnership inquiries, please contact Z Space Marketing Director Andrew Burmester at aburmester@zspace.org.
For press inquiries, please contact Word for Word’s Press Agent David Hyry at dahona@gmail.com.
