Radios - Short Takes on Life and Culture (Hardcover, 1st ed)

The spoken word translates neatly into the written in this posthumous collection of microessays from National Public Radio commentator Stern (Making Shapely Fiction, not reviewed, etc.). Two or three minutes of radio airtime equals about the same number of written pages, which would normally seem too constricted for a personal essay. It turns out to be just enough, however, for Stern to create his artful prose miniatures: say, to cover a topic like the social ritual of the dessert cart's temptations; to relate an anecdote of brazen cafeteria line-jumping or a reminiscence of school "hobby day"; or to play out the conceit of an existential airline's announcement: "Remain comfortably seated, for this trip may be your first or your last, or one of the many trips you will take so . . ." These "radios" (as opposed to "papers") are rooted in the everyday, with Stern favoring his memories of family dynamics ("Reading the Refrigerator"), his experiences of teaching and being taught ("Looking for Mr. Keats"), and the close scrutiny of kitchen appliances, such as ice trays and rotisseries. Stern conjures up arrestingly small details, such as the changing fashions of Christmas tree lights or the brand of highlighter (the "Personalizer") used to mark the targets for radiation therapy on his body. Stern's ongoing mysterious illness punctuates this miscellany like a mildly cliff-hanging radio serial while he recounts testing, diagnosis, and treatment. Throughout, Stern keeps his ear tuned for good dialogue, even one of his nurses discussing the life expectancy of her kids' pet fish; and his mind is always primed for an artful turn of phrase - undergoing chemotherapy, he describes the radiation machine's sound as "the sizzling crackle of a patio bug zapper." Pleasantly diverting observations on passing life, ideal for short-attention-span meditations. (Kirkus Reviews)

Drawings by the author

Here is a gift for the thousands of devoted listeners who made Jerome Stern one of the best-loved commentators on National Public Radio.

For over a decadefirst locally and then nationwide, Jerome Stern delighted audiences with the wry, astute mini-essays he called Radios. "You gave great pleasure to my ears," one fan wrote after tuning in en route to work. "More therapeutic than a round on the Stairmaster," another maintained.

Nothing was too large or too small to engage Jerome Stern's interest. Along with the mysteries of the universe, he wrote about kids vs. adults, the moods of teachers, and summer camp. He wrote about chocolate, the anxieties of plane travel, and the night fantasies of husbands. And in a suite called "Patient," broadcast for a week on "All Things Considered," he considered his own experience of illness. All in all, these pieces, whether cautioning or celebrating or simply turning over ideas (to see what makes them tick), add up to a freewheeling autobiography of a man who was curious about everything. Now, with this book, readers and listeners can recapture his words and the familiar musing voice.

Jerome Stern was director of the writing program at Florida State in Tallahassee. He was a, writer, scholar, editor, and teacher, and was the author of Making Shapely Fiction (a book about writing) and the editor of Micro Fiction: An Anthology of Really Short Stories, both published by Norton. Upon his death in March 1996, he was proclaimed "a national treasure."

General

Imprint:	W W Norton & Co Inc
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	October 1997
Authors:	Jerome Stern
Dimensions:	216 x 145 x 17mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	112
Edition:	1st ed
ISBN-13:	978-0-393-04119-4
Categories:	Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Communication studies > Media studies Books > Business & Economics > Industry & industrial studies > Media, information & communication industries > Radio & television industry Promotions
LSN:	0-393-04119-0
Barcode:	9780393041194

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