Out of Place | A Short Stories Podcast

A chance racquetball match turns into a career changing event for Frank.  Before long, he's confronted with challenges and encounters adventures he could never have predicted. 

Fiction, folklore and fact intersect in this Out-Of-Place podcast about developing artificial intelligence and unexpected consequences.  Join Michael Levy, Ph.D., a celebrated computer scientist leading a team of next generation technologists on their quest to apply AI to two top secret military assignments.  Accompany Michael on a journey to enlightenment where he finds that the future of his primary project is wrapped up in lessons of the past.

A routine business trip suddenly becomes an experience of a lifetime for Frank and a colleague when they find themselves far from home during one of America's darkest days. 

A beautiful summer day in 1964 is suddenly clouded with fear. Nine year old Frank struggles to cope with possible consequences resulting from his own actions. Will Frank fly under the radar, or be caught red-handed and sent off to reform school?

A surprise call from a former employee sends Frank on a secret mission to explore a massive business opportunity. Suddenly his vision for the future of his company's business is a far cry from sanitizing swimming pool water where images of sunshine, bikini clad women, and kids splashing are commonplace. Will his management share in his enthusiasm or sink the idea?

Frank's corporate bubble is pierced by outside world realities when he is introduced to a new customer by the name of Bud Stocik.  Bud's humble background, rough-hewn appearance and heavy stutter leaves Frank in the lurch.  How will he ever find a way to connect with Bud?

Frank goes "off the track" to help his 7 year old son build a Pinewood Derby car.

Frank's entry into the world of higher education yields life lessons he hadn't bargained for.

Frank helps a magazine publisher get into an "invitation only" customer luncheon hosted by his company's chairman. The publisher's return favor lands Frank in a precarious spot that could cost him his job!

Midnight shift in the Pittsburgh produce yards provides an eye-opening experience into the world of manual labor for a Penn State College kid home for the summer.

Membership in the Teamsters Union thrusts 19-year-old Frank into a moral dilemma when union representatives and management hit a contract impasse.  To strike or not to strike, how will he vote?

Events leading up to a dream job interview with a premier ad agency throw a spotlight on Frank's aspirations, and a surprise that rockets him back to reality.

In this podcast, Frank “takes a swing” at writing fiction and comes up with a whimsical story about the life of a golf ball.   

Frank is left with a chilled feeling after being introduced to Jim, a much-revered copywriter at the ad agency where they both work.  What Frank doesn't know is that there is a host of secrets bottled up inside this master of words.  As the ice between them melts, Frank learns more than he bargained for.

Our lives are like a flowing stream of short stories. Each day is a page, each month a chapter, each year a novel, and one's life a series of volumes. Yet, only a fraction of pages stays imprinted on our minds until something we see, or something someone says triggers a memory, and suddenly we're transported back in time to a place or event we haven't thought of in years. The Out-of-Place short stories podcast is that trigger. Listeners are often surprised when the stories rekindle their own memories about a situation they found themselves in, that didn't feel right when it happened, but worked out in ways thatshaped their perceptions and outlooks for the rest of their lives. So why not join the journey now to see if my stories awaken your own?

A life-long relationship unexpectedly goes up in smoke, sparking vivid childhood memories around the storied estate where it all began.