David Oates

This show focuses on stories and poems: a story and a unique answering-machine message from master storyteller Andy Offutt Irwin, me reading the beginning of Barbara Kingsolver’s novel “The Bean Trees,” and poems from Jo Angela Edwins, Tara O’Brien Elliott and Rebecca Baggett on being “Into It” in school

This episode includes "Daily Show" host Trevor Noah's standup; a different Noah--local Renaissance woman Penny Noah, with poems; Professor Melissa Cahnmann-Taylor performing poems from her book "Imperfect Tense"; some of my micro-poems; a piece from spoken-word performer Buddy Wakefield; two from national-slam star Taylor Mali; Tom Bodett on men crying; and the joke-writer's joke writer, Emo Phillips, with his "Most States Don't End in -A" routine.

Join me to hear master storyteller Elizabeth Ellis “Meddling at Walmart,” Nikki Giovanni’s poem “Train Rides”; Barry Marks poems “Slor,” (about a color he believes exists but that is invisible to him). “Why I write (Poem!),” “The Black Spot of Divorce, and “Laying Track For Noah”; also, Peter Shickele’s “Classical Rap,” about the challenges of living on the Upper West Side of New York City.

This episode includes the tour-de-force stage monologue (or half dialogue, as the other characters are unheard) by Ruth Draper, whose society dame talks to many different people in many different tones. We’ve also got John Updike’s short story “New York Girl,” which, while not containing vulgarity, does mention some adult topics.