650-Word True Stories

It's been said that genealogy is where you confuse the dead and irritate the living. Recorded live at City Winery NYC, this episode features three true stories about ancestory from writers Rhonda Zangwill, Jai Chakrabarti, and Isaiah Hunt — Plus, a meditation on the writing life from Lynn Lauber. Listen now or anytime. • To receive the series directly to your phone or smart speaker, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:

Bus rides and best friends. Marching band and mean girls. Homeroom and home grown. Whether high school was the site of your fondest memories or the scene of the crime, the stories we've selected from a live show might just transport you to that not-so-distant world of nerds, jocks, and stoners.

Read 650 celebrates writers and the spoken word five minutes - and 650 words - at a time. The theme of this week's show is Gratitude, and includes three true personal stories of gratitude recorded at a live event at New York's Lincoln Center featuring Jamie Bernstein, Malachy McCourt, and Mihai Grunfeld.

FINNEGAN, Honor • Money / MOURKA • North Cape May / CURTO, Kathy • What He Knew / BTL: HUESTON, Marie • Timing is Everything. Poets and singers and writers of all types have been writing about love for millennia. In this century, the novelist and essayist Ursula LeGuin wrote, "Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new." For today's show, we've selected three stories from our "Love and Marriage" event that we presented on stage at Sarah Lawrence College in New York's Westchester County, and we begin with Margarita Meyendorff...

Featuring Jennifer Rawlings, Sarah Bracey White, Annabel Monaghan, David Masello. Ah, summer—a break from school and a time to sleep in and hang out with friends. Or maybe instead it's a time to catch the bus, clock in, and put on your nametag. We've assembled a trio of summer job stories from talented writers who recall those summer days all too well.

Great storytelling runs deep in the Jewish DNA, from Sholem Aleichem to Philip Roth and Nora Ephron, and that spirit is alive in the tales we selected for today's show from an event we planned called Jew-ish (with a hyphen): True stories of love, latkes, and l'chaim. KATZ, Marilyn Ogus (per Mourka) • A Few Small Stones / EDELSON, Lynn • Brisket / MASELLO, David • The Woman in the Audience / BTL: LEVIN, Ann • The Blank Page

You save it to spend it. You crave it, you lend it. Do any of us ever really feel that we have enough money? We posed that question in a call for submissions, and presented a collection of true personal stories about money from a cast of talented writers before a live audience at City Winery's flagship location in New York City. We've selected three of those stories with very different takes on the subject for this week's show. KWON, Beth • Found Money / LEVIN, Ann • How to Think About Money / Suarez-Baez, Emma • What is Enough? / BTL: BASIL, Krystia • Cycle Gap

You save it to spend it. You crave it, you lend it. Does anyone ever really have enough time? It's a precious resource, and our days and our lives are often shaped and guided by the clock. Writer Annie Dillard wrote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days.” Writers, like just about everyone else, often wish we had more time. But we also know that time isn't something you find, but something you make. Sarah Bracey White • Against the Clock / Ann Casapini • Moment to Moment / David Masello • Time to Go Home / BTL: Kathryn Rice • A Page of My Own

Lynn Edelson • Counterpoint / Julie Evans • Baptizing John Coltrane / Leanne Sowul • Over the Rainbow / BTL: Jeremiah Horrigan • One Question, Three Answers

PALMA, Eileen • The Moskowitz Girl / GREDLER, John • SRO / MANNING-SCHAFFEL, Vivian • What Makes a New Yorker? / BTL: LEVIN, Ann • The Blank Page. There simply is no other place in the world like New York. Its architecture, culture, and general buzz combine to make New York the greatest city in the world. But New York is also a collection of unique neighborhoods, people. and stories, and we've selected three of those stories today from a live event we produced for a full house at The Cell Theater on West 23rd Street.

For most of us, our mother is our first love. For a time, she is our entire world, serving as our protector, nurturer, and teacher. Our relationships with our mothers is simple and elemental.. while at times being the most fraught and complicated relationship we'll ever know. And if you ARE a mother, you know it's the hardest job there is. This episode features writers Kate Mayer, Sarah Bracey White, Jennifer Rawlings, and Lucy Iscaro.

When I was a kid, my family took summer camping vacations in the Adirondacks. My parents packed a tent and sleeping bags and food and utensils and a deck of cards, and we drove five hours north from New York City to a kind of paradise with trees beyond counting, sweet, clear lakes for swimming, more stars that I'd ever seen before, and a crackling fire in a ring of stone. Instead of TV, there was conversation and stories of ancestors, and time spent gathering wood and water—time that was altogether different from what we shared at home. Those childhood memories shaped the course of my life—and my choice to settle in New York's beautiful Hudson River Valley. For today's show, I've selected three stories about the Great Outdoors (not all as bucolic as mine); stories first performed for a live audience in a theater in New York City.

National Library Week is a time to celebrate our nation's libraries, library workers' contributions and promote library use and support. Since 1958, National Library Week's been sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and observed in libraries across the country each April. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate, and you can learn more at the American Library Association website, ALA.org

You never forget your first puppy, your first car, or your first love. Some firsts are mundane, (first olive), while others are unforgettable (first high dive). A first can be a solemn rite of passage or a dream come true, and some firsts supply practical knowledge we carry forward. Like, for example, why you should avoid games involving dice and money, or why tequila shots are actually a very bad idea.

In many parts of the United States and certainly in New York City, the St. Patrick's Day holiday is often larded with a kind of shamrockery or paddywhackery that makes some of us cringe a bit. You know -- the mugs of green beer and those big "Kiss Me I'm Irish" buttons and t-shirts. Instead of overcooked corned beef and cabbage, Read650 acknowledges this St. Patrick's Day with four rich personal stories reflecting the lived experiences of Irish and Irish-American writers—individual perspectives, presented with an emphasis on craftsmanship. Originally performed for a live audience at City Winery in Manhattan, these stories were proudly presented as part of Carnegie Hall's citywide spring festival, “Migrations: The Making of America,” acknowledging and honoring the perseverance and resilience of immigrants and the contributions they continue to make on America's diverse cultural landscape. Read 650 celebrates writers and the spoken word five minutes - and 650 words - at a time, and this week, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, we celebrate Irishness with true personal stories from writers Anthony Murphy, Malachy McCourt, and me. And, on today's “Between The Lines” segment, writer Colin Broderick recalls the challenges he faced as a young man in New York while trying to establish himself as a writer.

Read 650 celebrates writers and the spoken word five minutes - and 650 words - at a time, and on today's show ... Sthree writers present original true stories relating to birthdays -- not always happy, and not necessarily occasions for singing. For most of us, however we acknowledge or celebrate them, birthdays are important mile markers in our lives. And in the lives of our children, parents, grandparents -- the people we matter to, and who often matter most to us. 

How we respond to stressful or even appalling circumstances determines our path and shapes our life. “Hope Happens” is the title of this week's Read650 podcast, and features three personal stories of resilience, recovery, and renewal from writers Marshall Karp, Jennifer Rawlings, and Ann Levin. Plus, we go “Between the Lines” with Chicago Tribune columnist Sally Schwartz and learn the one thing she really needs in order to write. Listen now or anytime!

Learning begins as soon as we enter the world, our lives a cinematic fast forward through first steps and tying our own shoelaces; to a first bus ride, algebra test, driving test, and swim test; thorugh learning to cook and dance and play an instrument; from being hired and fired and falling in and out of love-- the gamut of lived human experiences, all of which, in their own way, teach us things. They are rites of passage, or life lessons, and Lessons Learned is the theme of this week's show.

MAYER, Kathryn • A Meeting of Firsts / EDELSON, Lynn • Inviolable Rules of the Universe / LEVIN, Ann • Holidays Optional. BTL: MOULTHROP, Robert • More to Come. The Christmas and New Year's holidays are a time to break our routines, set work aside, and gather with friends and neighbors; they're a touch point that can revive old memories and present opportunities to create new ones.

When I was a kid, my family took summer camping vacations in the Adirondacks. My parents packed a tent and sleeping bags and food and utensils and a deck of cards, and we drove five hours north from New York City to a kind of paradise with trees beyond counting, sweet, clear lakes for swimming, more stars that I'd ever seen before, and a crackling fire in a ring of stone. Instead of TV, there was conversation and stories of ancestors, and time spent gathering wood and water—time that was altogether different from what we shared at home. Those childhood memories shaped the course of my life—and my choice to settle in New York's beautiful Hudson River Valley. For today's show, I've selected three stories about the Great Outdoors (not all as bucolic as mine); stories first performed for a live audience in a theater in New York City.

The episode is is part of Carnegie Hall's 2021 "Voices of Hope" festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis. The episode features Susan Zelouf • Things Matter / Anthony Murphy • Steady / Sarah Bracey While • Food for Thought / BTL: Suzanne McConnell • Vonnegut's Pearls. From our "Voices of Hope: True Stories of Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal" collection. It's part of Carnegie Hall's Voices of Hope festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis.

Holidays are a time to celebrate cultural traditions and set work aside. A holiday offers a break in our routine, prompting a three-day weekend in the sun—or a three-hour snow delay at the airport. Some holidays are lightweight and fun, making you think about watermelon and fireworks, while others seem solemn or fraught, setting the stage for either a delicious meal or a family drama. The special "Holidays' event we presented on stage at the Ossie Davis Theater featured a collection of true holiday stories spanning the range from sunburn to heartburn. We've chosen three of those stories to present in today's show.

Fran Tunno • Grateful for Covid / Kathleen McKitty Harris • Zooming Through It / Sally Hoskins • Not As Expected / BTL: Jennifer Shneiderman • Camels Don't Have Hooves Read650 celebrates writers and the spoken word five minutes – and 650 words – at a time. The series is called “Voices of Hope: True Stories of Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal.” It's part of Carnegie Hall's Voices of Hope festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis. The stories you're hearing today, along with many others, are available in book and e-book form. It's just one of dozens of themed collections we've published, and they help fund our mission to promote writers. They're great gifts and perfect bedtime reading, and you can view all of our themed anthologies, including What We Wore, Summer Jobs, The Great Outdoors and many others under the SHOP tab on our website, Read650.org. This episode of Read650 was part of Carnegie Hall's very first all-digital festival, Voices of Hope, exploring the life-affirming power of music and the arts. With streamed performances that range from orchestral and chamber works to folk and jazz, Voices of Hope features music that inspires change and lifts the human spirit.

Featuring Mary Catherine Bolster, Betty MacDonald, Edward McCann, Steven Lewis. Our brothers and sisters know us better than perhaps anyone and—love them or not—our relationships with our siblings are likely to be longer than the ones we'll have with our parents or spouses or best friends — the longest relationships we'll have with anyone, ever.

Corinne O'Shaughnessy • Five / Sharon Forman • Ghosts at the Costco / Cari Pattison • The Bronxville Exorcist • BTL: David Masello • A Postcard on Postcards. Read 650 celebrates writers and the spoken word five minutes - and 650 words - at a time, and on today's show we present excerpts from a show entitled "Haunted," featuring true stories of Premonitions, Superstitions, and Apparitions. Halloween has been around for more than a thousand years, and its origins can be traced back to an ancient Celtic festival during which it was believed that the souls of the dead returned to their homes.

Featuring Steven Lewis, Andi Rosenthal, Kathryn Mayer, and David Masello. Do you remember your first car? How about your worst car? What about your road test or that first big road trip you made on your own? The stories we're presenting in today's show were recorded in the Ossie Davis Theater in New Rochelle, New York at a Read650 live event called THE CAR.

PARET, Anna • I Am UK / GRUNFELD, Mihai • Across the Border / NENNER, Ellen • The Greener. BTL: BRODERICK, Colin • An Irish Writer in New York. America was built and sustained by immigrants -- people from all corners of the globe whose struggles and contributions made America what and who it is today. For today's show, we've selected three personal stories from a live event we billed as "Immigration Nation," with performances recorded at the Ossie Davis Theater in New Rochelle, New York.

Featuring John Gredler • Hit and Run / Kate Mayer • Not Bad for Store Bought / Robert Moulthrop • A Birthday Gift to Myself. BTL: LEVIN, Ann • The Birthday Poem. Your birth was your beginning, and celebrating the anniversary of your arrival is an expression of thanks, an opportunity to refresh your outlook, and a chance to bond with people. Birthdays are much more than an occasion to receive gifts; each one is also a touchpoint, a mile-marker in a life in progress, and today we present birthday recollections from three talented writers.

Featuring Margarita Meyendorff, Steven Lewis, Tracey McNally, and Rhonda Zangwill. Opening a trunk to see a summer camp uniform or bar mitzvah suit or bridesmaid dress can transport us to another time and place. What do the things we wear say about who we are, or where we're going? For today's show, we've stitched together just three stories from the trunkload we presented for a live audience one snowy Sunday in March at our "What We Wore" event at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge, New York.

Its architecture, culture, and general buzz combine to make New York the greatest city in the world. But New York is also a collection of unique neighborhoods, people, and stories. On today's show, we present three of those stories, recorded at our "Tales of New York" event at Nancy Manocherian's the cell theater on Manhattan's west side.

When I was a kid, my family took summer camping vacations in the Adirondacks. My parents packed a tent and sleeping bags and food and utensils and a deck of cards, and we drove five hours north from New York City to a kind of paradise with trees beyond counting, sweet, clear lakes for swimming, more stars that I'd ever seen before, and a crackling fire in a ring of stone. Instead of TV, there was conversation and stories of ancestors, and time spent gathering wood and water—time that was altogether different from what we shared at home. Those childhood memories shaped the course of my life—and my choice to settle in New York's beautiful Hudson River Valley. For today's show, I've selected three stories about the Great Outdoors (not all as bucolic as mine); stories first performed for a live audience in a theater in New York City.

Featuring Margarita Meyendorff, Kathy Curto, and Steven Lewis. Food is a truly universal topic, and if you're hungry for some good writing, you're in luck, because stories are what we have on our menu.

Featuring Alison Smith, Manuela Hoelterhoff, Joe Goodrich, and Hayley Stoddard. Dogs amuse us, comfort us, and work for us – herding sheep, pulling sleds, sniffing for bombs or drugs, and alerting us to visitors or deliveries. They're been our companions and co-workers for thousands of years, and dogs and humans share a unique bond of friendship and love… And science has recently established that dogs really do love us – and not just because we feed them.

Featuring Ann Levin, Meredith Prince, John VanKirk. Eating may be the most truly universal activity, and there's a whole lot of preparation behind it, whether we're feeding ourselves, our families, or guests in our restaurant. The submission prompt we published for the 650-word stories you're about to hear was "What's Cooking?" and we invited writers to share their stories of culinary trials and triumphs.

Featuring Karen Dukess, John Gredler, Anna Paret, David Masello. Summer jobs nudge us into adulthood with a taste of what it's like to have to set an alarm each night and show up at an appointed time and place each day. They bestow some responsibility with training wheels, offering a glimpse into the kind of future we might like to pursue—or avoid, and provide a measure of independence with what may be our first real paychecks. For today's show we offer differing perspectives on summer jobs, and the life lessons they provide.

Featuring Mary Catherine Bolster, Betty MacDonald, Edward McCann, Steven Lewis. Our brothers and sisters know us better than perhaps anyone and—love them or not—our relationships with our siblings are likely to be longer than the ones we'll have with our parents or spouses or best friends — the longest relationships we'll have with anyone, ever.

Featuring Lynn Edelson, Kathy Curto, Jack O'Connell, Steven Lewis. Ah, summer—a break from school and a time to sleep in and hang out with friends. Or maybe instead it's a time to catch the bus, clock in, and put on your nametag. We've assembled a trio of summer job stories from talented writers who recall those summer days all too well.

Featuring Steven Lewis, Andi Rosenthal, Kathryn Mayer, and David Masello. Do you remember your first car? How about your worst car? What about your road test or that first big road trip you made on your own? The stories we're presenting in today's show were recorded in the Ossie Davis Theater in New Rochelle, New York at a Read650 live event called THE CAR.

When I was a kid, my family took summer camping vacations in the Adirondacks. My parents packed a tent and sleeping bags and food and utensils and a deck of cards, and we drove five hours north from New York City to a kind of paradise with trees beyond counting, sweet, clear lakes for swimming, more stars that I'd ever seen before, and a crackling fire in a ring of stone. Instead of TV, there was conversation and stories of ancestors, and time spent gathering wood and water—time that was altogether different from what we shared at home. Those childhood memories shaped the course of my life—and my choice to settle in New York's beautiful Hudson River Valley. For today's show, I've selected three stories about the Great Outdoors (not all as bucolic as mine); stories first performed for a live audience in a theater in New York City.

Featuring Peter Hoffman, Lucille Iscaro, and Martha Brill. Eating may be the most truly universal activity, and there's a whole lot of preparation behind it, whether we're feeding ourselves, our families, or guests in our restaurant. The submission prompt we published for the 650-word stories you're about to hear was "What's Cooking?" and we invited writers to share their stories of culinary trials and triumphs.

Featuring John Gredler, John Pielmeier, and Kathryn Mayer. Plus, go “Between the Lines” with Deborah Batterman. Gay Pride, or LGBTQ Pride takes a positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Pride builds community, celebrates our diverse humanity, and erodes the social stigma and shame that has defined and interrupted so many of our lives. For today's show, we've got three stories on the theme, each with a straight —but not narrow—perspective.

Featuring Steven Lewis, Dan Zevin, Malachy McCourt, David Masello. Fathers leave indelible marks on their children that last a lifetime. For today's show "On Fathers," we've selected three pieces we recorded at Read650's very first live event. It took place at Nancy Manocherian's The Cell, on Manhattan's west side.

Featuring Derin Tanyol, Kimberly Lee, Nancy Goodhue, Barbara Josselsohn. Eating may be the most truly universal activity, and there's a whole lot of preparation behind it, whether we're feeding ourselves, our families, or guests in our restaurant. The submission prompt we published for the 650-word stories you're about to hear was "What's Cooking?" and we invited writers to share their stories of culinary trials and triumphs.

Featuring Margarita Meyendorff, Kathy Curto, and Steven Lewis. Food is a truly universal topic, and if you're hungry for some good writing, you're in luck, because stories are what we have on our menu.

Featuring Alison Smith, Manuela Hoelterhoff, Joe Goodrich, and Hayley Stoddard. Dogs amuse us, comfort us, and work for us – herding sheep, pulling sleds, sniffing for bombs or drugs, and alerting us to visitors or deliveries. They're been our companions and co-workers for thousands of years, and dogs and humans share a unique bond of friendship and love… And science has recently established that dogs really do love us – and not just because we feed them.

For most of us, our mother is our first love. For a time, she is our entire world, serving as our protector, nurturer, and teacher. Our relationships with our mothers is simple and elemental.. while at times being the most fraught and complicated relationship we'll ever know. And if you ARE a mother, you know it's the hardest job there is. This episode features writers Kate Mayer, Sarah Bracey White, Jennifer Rawlings, and Lucy Iscaro.

The episode features Lynn Edelson, Julie Evans, Leanne Sowul and Jeremiah Horrigan. The episode is is part of Carnegie Hall's 2021 "Voices of Hope" festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis.

The episode features Paul Grussendorf. This 5-minute story single is part of Carnegie Hall's 2021 "Voices of Hope" festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis. Read650 celebrates writers and the spoken word five minutes – and 650 words – at a time. The series is called “Voices of Hope: True Stories of Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal.” It's part of Carnegie Hall's Voices of Hope festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis. The stories you're hearing today, along with many others, are available in book and e-book form. It's just one of dozens of themed collections we've published, and they help fund our mission to promote writers. They're great gifts and perfect bedtime reading, and you can view all of our themed anthologies, including What We Wore, Summer Jobs, The Great Outdoors and many others under the SHOP tab on our website, Read650.org. This episode of Read650 was part of Carnegie Hall's very first all-digital festival, Voices of Hope, exploring the life-affirming power of music and the arts. With streamed performances that range from orchestral and chamber works to folk and jazz, Voices of Hope features music that inspires change and lifts the human spirit. For complete festival details and event schedules visit CarnegieHall.org/voicesofhope. For more Read650, you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or at Read650.org.

The episode features Margarita Meyendorff. This 5-minute story single is part of Carnegie Hall's 2021 "Voices of Hope" festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis. Read650 celebrates writers and the spoken word five minutes – and 650 words – at a time. The series is called “Voices of Hope: True Stories of Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal.” It's part of Carnegie Hall's Voices of Hope festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis. The stories you're hearing today, along with many others, are available in book and e-book form. It's just one of dozens of themed collections we've published, and they help fund our mission to promote writers. They're great gifts and perfect bedtime reading, and you can view all of our themed anthologies, including What We Wore, Summer Jobs, The Great Outdoors and many others under the SHOP tab on our website, Read650.org. This episode of Read650 was part of Carnegie Hall's very first all-digital festival, Voices of Hope, exploring the life-affirming power of music and the arts. With streamed performances that range from orchestral and chamber works to folk and jazz, Voices of Hope features music that inspires change and lifts the human spirit. For complete festival details and event schedules visit CarnegieHall.org/voicesofhope. For more Read650, you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or at Read650.org.

The episode features David Masello. This 5-minute story single is part of Carnegie Hall's 2021 "Voices of Hope" festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis. Read650 celebrates writers and the spoken word five minutes – and 650 words – at a time. The series is called “Voices of Hope: True Stories of Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal.” It's part of Carnegie Hall's Voices of Hope festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis. The stories you're hearing today, along with many others, are available in book and e-book form. It's just one of dozens of themed collections we've published, and they help fund our mission to promote writers. They're great gifts and perfect bedtime reading, and you can view all of our themed anthologies, including What We Wore, Summer Jobs, The Great Outdoors and many others under the SHOP tab on our website, Read650.org. This episode of Read650 was part of Carnegie Hall's very first all-digital festival, Voices of Hope, exploring the life-affirming power of music and the arts. With streamed performances that range from orchestral and chamber works to folk and jazz, Voices of Hope features music that inspires change and lifts the human spirit. For complete festival details and event schedules visit CarnegieHall.org/voicesofhope. For more Read650, you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or at Read650.org.

The episode features Martha Nance. This 5-minute story single is part of Carnegie Hall's 2021 "Voices of Hope" festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis. Read650 celebrates writers and the spoken word five minutes – and 650 words – at a time. The series is called “Voices of Hope: True Stories of Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal.” It's part of Carnegie Hall's Voices of Hope festival which examines the life-affirming power of music and the arts during times of crisis. The stories you're hearing today, along with many others, are available in book and e-book form. It's just one of dozens of themed collections we've published, and they help fund our mission to promote writers. They're great gifts and perfect bedtime reading, and you can view all of our themed anthologies, including What We Wore, Summer Jobs, The Great Outdoors and many others under the SHOP tab on our website, Read650.org. This episode of Read650 was part of Carnegie Hall's very first all-digital festival, Voices of Hope, exploring the life-affirming power of music and the arts. With streamed performances that range from orchestral and chamber works to folk and jazz, Voices of Hope features music that inspires change and lifts the human spirit. For complete festival details and event schedules visit CarnegieHall.org/voicesofhope. For more Read650, you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or at Read650.org.