Brownstein reads from her memoir “Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl.” BD Wong performs Saunders’ “My Chivalric Fiasco,” about a goofy knight errant at a Renaissance Fair, and Anthony Rapp performs Saunders’ “Sticks”, a brief portrait of an eccentric dad. We also hear Brownstein and Saunders in conversation with Radnor.
Guest host Josh Radnor presents works by Carrie Brownstein and George Saunders. The multi-talented Brownstein is the founder of the indie bands Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag, as well as the television comedy series "Portlandia.” She is currently adapting her memoir, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, for television, and on this program she reads an excerpt recounting of a life-altering tour with Pearl Jam. Following her reading, we hear Brownstein and Saunders in conversation with Josh Radnor.
George Saunders is the author of the short story collections and novellas CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, Pastoralia, In Persuasion Nation, and Tenth of December, which was a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the National Book Award. His first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, won the Man Booker Prize. His writing has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, The New Yorker, Harper’s, McSweeney’s, and GQ. He is the recipient of the Folio Prize, the PEN/Malamud Award, the National Magazine Award, a World Fantasy Award, and the Story Prize, as well as fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. In 2013, he was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine. Saunders teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University. His most recent work is the short story "Fox 8.”
In the second part of the show, BD Wong performs Saunders’ “My Chivalric Fiasco,” about a janitor who is promoted to goofy knight errant at a Renaissance fair, where all medieval hell breaks loose. Wong is a Tony-Award winner for his performance in “M. Butterfly.” Other Broadway appearances include revivals of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown,” and “Pacific Overtures.” Wong’s extensive television portfolio includes featured roles on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Oz,” “Awake,” and “Mr. Robot.”
While "Fiasco" unspools slowly, Saunders is equally masterful at the other end of the spectrum, as in this program’s final story, "Sticks." It’s a short vivid portrait of an eccentric dad. It's read by “Rent” star Anthony Rapp, who also appeared in the revival of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown,” and in the musical “If/Then.” He is currently featured on CBS’s “Star Trek Discovery.”
