The Big Read

In 2007, America decided it was having a literary crisis (and Sold a Story wouldn’t come out for another 15 years). So, in response, the National Endowment for the Arts launched The Big Read, a program to bring people together to read some of the most acclaimed works of fiction by American authors. Alongside grassroots local events, the NEA produced a series of audio documentaries for The Big Read, each featuring writers, actors and luminaries discussing a particular book – what it’s about, why it’s important, and how it moved them. Put plainly, the NEA made a national book club for the radio. Heads up, these are some of the most traditional ‘public radio’-vibe pieces we’ve included so far on Selects (think classical music interludes), but they’re an easy listen, and each conversation is rewarding to sit in on. Akin to the community book clubs the NEA’s program inspired, these conversations democratize the experience of reading literature by handpicking an incredible selection of

The Big Read is a society podcast hosted by Selects, with 5 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Selects hosts The Big Read, a society show with 5 episodes published.

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  The Big Read

  A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines

  Feb 11, 202629 minS0

  <p>This episode is about Ernest Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying.  It's the story of a young black man named Jefferson, accused of the murder of a white storekeeper, and Grant Wiggins, a teacher at a plantation school.  While Jefferson prepares for his execution, the two men discover a friendship that transforms at least two lives.</p><p>Original Series Credits:</p><p>This program was created by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  It was hosted by Dana Gioia and written and produced by Molly Murphy and Dan Stone, and...

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  The Big Read

  The Work of Emily Dickinson

  Jun 10, 202423 minS0

  <p>This episode does a beautiful job of introducing and demystifying the work of Emily Dickinson. Thoughtful considerations of some of Dickinson’s most beloved poems unlock their pleasures for the uninitiated listener. Dickinson is of course one of the foremost lyric poets of American literature, but this episode also explores her artistic life, including the almost utter lack of recognition of her work during her lifetime. For those of us who enjoy poetry most when accompanied by an expert guide, this piece is a delight.</p>

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  The Big Read

  The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

  Jun 10, 202429 minS0

  <p>Set in the South in the 1930s, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" was written by a 23-year old Carson McCullers, and its release immediately shot her to literary stardom.  The novel follows the intertwined lives of a diverse group of people as they navigate loneliness, societal tensions and their struggle for human connection. In this episode, Mary Louise-Parker reads excerpts, and we hear from Gore Vidal, Edward Albee and others about how McCullers’ masterful storytelling, including her surprisingly nuanced depictions of Black characters, established the book as a classic.  </p>

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  The Big Read

  The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

  Jun 10, 202429 minS0

  <p>James McBride, author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, is one of the guests in this episode discussing the impact of The Joy Luck Club.  Amy Tan’s canonical novel tells the stories of four Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters. In McBride’s words, “no one quite deals with magical realism and women characters like Amy Tan does. She's brilliant. She's an American original.” The Joy Luck Club has inspired many books and other works since it was first published in 1989, and this conversation illuminates why Tan’s witty and complex novel continues to resonate.  </p>

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  The Big Read

  In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

  Jun 10, 202429 minS0

  <p>Great historical fiction is the closest we can get to time travel, immersing us in the lives of characters experiencing a moment and a place we could only otherwise access through factual accounts. In this audio documentary, Junot Diaz, Edwige Danticat and Neko Case share their love of Julia Alvarez’s epic novel In the Time of the Butterflies, and we also hear from the author herself. The book chronicles the lives of the Mirabal sisters, who become symbols of resistance against the oppressive regime of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic in the mid-twentieth century. This conversation, like th...

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