Ever since I moved to the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I’ve had one very specific writer’s dream. I wanted one of my short stories to be read by an actor from the stage at Symphony Space in their well-known series, Selected Shorts, created and hosted by the artistic director, Isaiah Sheffer. I was shameless in my pursuit of this aim. Isaiah was a familiar face in the neighborhood. He often ate breakfast at one of our local diners. I would sidle up to him, introduce myself and suggest that he might want to consider having my story, The Golden Darters, included in one of his programs. It had been selected for Best American Short Stories by Robert Stone. Wouldn’t Isaiah like a crack at it?He must have heard many pleas like this, but to his credit, he didn’t flinch or groan or roll his eyes. He suggested I drop off a copy (those were the good old days) at the box office and he would take it under consideration. I did as he asked more than once but heard nothing back. Since the story involves a daughter tying a fly with her fishing father, I even went so far as to suggest in a later note to Isaiah that the program should consider a springtime event based solely on fishing stories. Think Hemingway, Norman McLean, David James Duncan, Jim Harrison, Tim O’Brien. Still no response. I gave up my pursuit and like so many other people, mourned Isaiah’s passing when he left us in 2012. The artistic energy of our beloved Upper West Side seemed to flag a bit with his departure.
Fast forward to pandemic times. Last summer out of the blue, I received an email through my agent from the current artistic director of Selected Shorts asking permission to read The Golden Darters on their virtual program entitled Little Rebellions. Because they were offering this program for free, it would be difficult forSelected Shorts to pay me an honorarium. Money, I thought. Who cares about money when you can support the local arts organization that is making your lifelong dream come true?
This proves to be one of the perks of the quixotic life of a writer. You get paid twice a year and if you publish traditionally, you don’t know how large the check will be in the envelope. But in between royalty payment days in October and April, you can receive these random queries, fan mail, publication offers, speaking engagement requests, etc. It helps me keep the faith that there is an audience out there interested in the work that I do all alone in my study with a black crow on my shoulder whispering the funny question attributed to radio comedian, Fred Allen. “Why write a book when you can go around the corner and buy one?”
Selected Shorts asked the talented actor, Ann Dowd, to read the story and she captured beautifully, first the fear and then the defiance my teenage girl shows in the face of her father’s disapproval. And now, I’m thrilled to announce that the program Little Rebellions will be added to the Selected Shorts podcast options with Roxane Gay as host.
One of my writer’s dreams has finally come true.
#elizabethwinthrop, #elizabethwinthropalsop, #memoirs, #daughterofspies
