Stuff about "Laura Hurwitz"!
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The Easy Chair
Today on The Easy Chair: “The Child Who Loved Roads” by Norwegian author Cora Sandel. Physiology dictates that all mortals must age, but is it possible to not grow old? I believe it is, and so does the protagonist in this charming short story. Behind her are the voices of The Adults, telling her to slow down, to be practical, while ahead of her beckons the open road, the fresh air, and the stories in her head. This wistful, enchanting tale of youth is perfect for curling up under a comforter with a cup of tea. Settle in and savor this small gem told in the classic fictional Easy Chair style. And, if you have a story you’d like me to consider for the podcast, please, send it along to [email protected]. I will read it. Absolutely. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, it’s Heart to Heart, healing wisdom for all of us humans, with co-host Jane Gross. This week Jane takes on the topic of asking for and accepting support from trusted sources. Getting help can be challenging for those, like yours truly and Jane, who generally find themselves in the helper role. Asking for help is, in fact, a vulnerable and brave thing to do. As with many of our best Heart to Heart convos, Jane and I start down a path with no planned destination, so the fact that this podcast turned out to be both enlightening and useful was the very best kind of surprise. Please join us for a uniquely special episode. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, I read aloud another wonderful short story (fitting, as it is officially Short Story Month) by author Thomas Pierce. Pierce gives us a poignant, funny, and illuminating story about Val, a surly, medically fragile twelve-year-old who is obsessed with Pippin monkeys. The story is narrated by his mother’s boyfriend, an affable yet cynical dude who has signed on to take Val to the local zoo to see some Pippins- but by acting responsibly, loses their place in the exhibition line. There’s a whole lot going on in both backstory and subtext over this fraught day, and it’s not clear whose running the show. Or maybe it is. Tune in to hear one of the most engaging and hilarious stories I’ve ever read. Ever, ever. This week’s sponsor: Quip! It’s spring, and time for cleaning everything perfectly- including your teeth. Quip now offers its toothbrushes in kids’ size, so the whole family can commit to healthy mouths and smiles! Just go to www.GETQUIP.com/easychair for your first refill pack free. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
Today on The Easy Chair, “The Red Shoes.” This folk story was one I read obsessively when I was young. I was fascinated by it, though the morality lesson it imparts (that vanity is a cardinal sin, punishable by … amputation?!) is honestly gross and horrifying. I decided to share it with you: an old-school fairy tale about Karen, the pretty adopted daughter of a kind-hearted old lady. Karen covets a princess’s footwear, which is where her problems begin. Along the way is an angel, a creepy soldier, and of course, the executioner, all of which will make you think long and hard before buying a pair of red shoes. Join me for a cautionary tale you will find both quaint and disturbing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, it’s a breezy tribute to the joys of summer reading on Mightier Than the Sword! Co-host and fellow educator (yes, that’s right … I’m headed back to the classroom in September, and you’ll hear about that on the podcast) Steph Spaulding and I weigh in on a few of the books we read over the summer. We offer some critical analysis, what worked and what didn’t, in terms of plot, pacing, and character development. We also pay tribute to the sweet end of summer, and the fresh start of a new school year. It’s what I like to call a free-wheelin’ episode—steph spaulless editing, more off the cuff, lots of banter and laughter that will, I hope, be infectious. Tune in! This week’s sponsor is Ritual, the obsessively researched vitamin for and by women. I start every day with two ritual capsules, which gives me all the nutrients women need and might not be getting enough of, even, with a healthy diet. Start your ritual today! Head on over to www.ritual.com/easychair today, for 10% off your first three months! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, I celebrate my 200th episode milestone with an original short story, “Conversant”. Celia is a woman who has been raised by an emotionally abusive mother to believe she’s a terrible conversationalist. After Celia’s boyfriend Joaquin leaves her, she is convinced of the truth of her mother’s words: that she’ll always be alone, a fate she deserves. But life goes on to surprise Celia in unexpected ways: a quirky co-worker, a serendipitous apricot jumpsuit, a guy named Darius who may just be true love at first sight, and how about the threat of sudden, violent death? Can the worst mother be the best teacher? Tune in to a story I loved writing, and I hope you’ll love. Thank you to my faithful listeners, loyal sponsors, and of course, the Headgum Podcast Network. Also, my amazing husband Sam, who has formatted The Easy Chair for your listening pleasure lo these many years. You all have been there for me, and I am eternally grateful. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
Today on the podcast, it’s a fabulous short story by one of my favorite authors, Vladimir Nabokov. In “Symbols and Signs” an elderly couple visit their adult son, who they have committed to a psychiatric hospital, on his birthday. The son’s psychosis, “referential mania” has him convinced the universe is filled with symbols and signs. Everything around him is a veiled reference to his personality and existence. His parents know this is crazy. But on this day, signs and symbols indicate otherwise. This story will get you thinking about the power of love- and the razor-thin flashpoint between sanity and insanity. The podcast is brought to you by two of my faves, Brooklinen and Ritual! I start every day with Ritual (two minty capsules a day keep me at my peak) and end every day sliding between Brooklinen sheets, under my Brooklinen comforter. For Ritual: get 10% off your first three months by visiting www.ritual.com/easychair ! For Brooklinen: get 10% off your first order and free shipping by heading over to www.brooklinen.com and entering promo code CHAIR. Like me, you’ll find that Ritual and Brooklinen are the perfect bookends to your day! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, it’s the conclusion of Joyce Carol Oates’s stunner of a short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”. Arnold Friend has shown up at fifteen-year-old Connie’s screen door, behind which she’s home alone. Suddenly what seemed like a chance encounter at a popular summer hang-out turns into something sinister, something infinitely darker. Arnold just wants Connie to go with him. That's all. But is it? Connie's consciousness shifts, and she is suddenly no longer in the safe mundane familiarity of her own kitchen, but poised on the brink of alien, possibly terrifying world that an increasingly impatient shortArnold Friend cannot wait to show her. Tune in! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, it’s back to Mightier Than the Sword, and Steph and I are coming at you with two very interesting book reviews. This has been a particularly unsettling week for our country, and sometimes the best antidote to the sturm und drang of modern American life is to temporarily escape into a good book. I love to open up my home and the mic to Steph at the end of my solitary baking/writing/listening obsessively to NPR day. Steph has read a great non-fiction book, and she weighs in very eloquently. I’ve got a work of fiction by a new writer to critique. If you have a book you’d like to tell us about, or even promote your own writing, write to us at [email protected]. We’ll happily give you some air time. Steph and I want to hear from you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair: “Matricidal Maniac” by none other than Mightier Than the Sword co-host and gifted, ever-popular writer Stephanie Spaulding. In this tale, which we want you to note is 100% fictional, honest, Christine’s excruciatingly embarrassing mother travels to Manhattan to spend time with her daughter, and Christine’s annoyance explodes into an array of colorful death fantasies. Not that Christine wants to kill her mother- she knows where to draw the line- but maybe she wouldn’t mind if Mom was the victim of a bus crash, or an ice fishing accident, or a stroke. Parental relationships are complicated, and maybe, just maybe, what goes on in our heads is not the same as what goes on in our hearts. Stephanie’s deft story explores the interface between shock and hilarity. You will not want to miss one of my favorite Easy Chair episodes EVER. Next week: It’s Mightier Than the Sword, and Steph and I candidly share the results of our peer editing project swap. The week after that: Shoulda Swiped Left, with Hannah and Jake. Send writing questions/insights or dating stories to [email protected]. We want to hear from you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
Today on The Easy Chair, “The Composition,” a short story by Chilean author Antonio Skarmeta. The story begins on one sunny spring day, when Pedro’s thoughts are on getting to school on time for once and scoring a goal in soccer in the afternoon neighborhood soccer game. Then, at the game, Pedro's friend Daniel’s father is arrested by the military junta because he is a leftist. The thing is, Pedro’s parents are leftists, too. When Captain Romo, a government officer, shows up one morning at Pedro’s school and assigns the class compositions intended to reveal parental antifascist political beliefs, with a prize going to the best (most revelatory) composition, Pedro puts his pen to paper. He really, really wants a new soccer ball. This is my kind of snow day: cozy inside and the chance to read this winsome, suspenseful narrative about what happens when the innocence of childhood faces the duplicity of oppression. Tune in! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
On The Easy Chair this week: Mightier Than the Sword is back, and Steph and I talk D.I.Y. writing retreats. Summer is the perfect season for writers both professional and aspiring to snag some time to work on their writing projects, and taking off to a remote, ideally idyllic location solo or with fellow writers is the best idea ever. Planning retreats takes some forethought and planning. Steph and I speak from our own fabulous writer’s retreat experience. We’re here to share strategies about retreating- how to get where you want to go, and what to do when you’re there. Hint: it’s NOT all work and no play! And FYI: S’mores are involved. Next week: Shoulda Swiped Left is back, with Hannah and Jake. In the meantime, we want to hear from you! If you are a writer seeking or sharing advice for Mightier Than the Sword, or a person with an on-line dating story to share on Shoulda Swiped Left, contact us at [email protected]. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, on The Easy Chair, I read the conclusion of “The Fat Girl” by Andre Dubus. Louise has graduated college and now weighs less than her goal weight. She has morphed from fat to thin in less than a year, and suddenly, the world opens up to her in ways she never imagined. The gifts within her reach are the spoils of her self-deprivation, and all she has left to do is claim them. This is, after all, the American Woman’s Dream. Or is Louise just a stranger in a strange land? This is an extraordinarily powerful story about female sacrifice, about what we, socially and culturally, value, and the deeper personal truths that steadfastly refuse to allow women like Louise to disappear. This week’s sponsor is Ritual! I’ve been taking Ritual for Women for over a year, and I have never felt better. Ritual has the vitamins and minerals you don’t get enough of from even the healthiest of diets, all in their purest, most digestible form. Subscribe today by going to www.ritual.com/easychair for 10% off your first three months.andre dubus See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
Today on The Easy Chair: Sit back and listen to “Sissy” a charming short story by author/playwright Kathy Anderson. It’s about the reunion of two sisters in their 70s. One, the narrator, is a failed actress living in California, the other, a successful investor from a “hoity-toity” New York City suburb. Add to the mix a derelict floating restaurant, a bored boatman, and a secret burning desire to swim with stingrays. It’s a crazy quilt of a tale about mortality, history, and sisterly connection, but take my word for it: everything comes together perfectly. There is nothing I adore more than a story that causes you to laugh out loud at one passage and cry at another. That’s the poignant balancing act that “Sissy” pulls off. Tune in! “Sissy” provides the perfect timeout before launching into the busy holiday season. This week’s sponsor is Brooklinen! I love my Brooklinen sheets, comforter and duvet cover, which give me a 5 star hotel luxury sheet experience at home. For my listeners, get $20 off your first order and free shipping by going to Brooklinen.com and entering promo code chair at checkout. You’re welcome! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
Today on The Easy Chair, it’s a very special episode of Mightier Than the Sword. Steph and I recorded this on Steph’s actual 40th birthday. Because it is such a landmark occasion, I agreed to let her surprise me, which meant playing a game that Steph’s been obsessed with of late. Basically, it’s a toned-down philosophical version of “Would You Rather.” Steph poses questions that have us pondering some weighty choices relative to age, mortality, incarceration, and purple feathers vs. pink fur. We also ask you, dear listeners, to belatedly celebrate Steph’s b-day by writing to us with your own Would You Rathers at [email protected]. Any and all submissions will be read on our next podcast. Promise! We want to hear from you. And as Steph says, keep it clean. Today’s episode is brought to you by RXBAR. If you haven’t tried these protein-packed energy bars, made from authentic ingredients like egg whites, nuts, organic cocoa and dates, you don’t know what you’re missing. RXBAR calls BS on non-transparency and unnecessary additives and the result is uniquely delicious. For 25% off your first order, visit rxbar.com/chair and enter promo code CHAIR at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.