Enjoy a Late Lunch with NPR

In the mood for a late lunch? It’s on me!

I’m reading an abridged version of a story from Tracks: A Novel in Stories on Baltimore’s NPR station, 88.1 FM, WYPR. “Late Lunch” is the latest installment of what WYPR’s The Signal is now calling the “radio adaptation” of my novel.

In “Late Lunch,” we get inside the mind of Franklin, the conductor of the train, and learn why even as he’s enjoying the company of so many people, in some ways he’s the loneliest person on the train.

The reading airs today (Friday) on The Signal at 7 p.m. and tomorrow (Saturday) at 3 p.m.

Tune in!

http://wypr.org/post/signal-13114

“Freedom” on NPR for September 11

In honor of Patriot’s Day this coming September 11, Baltimore’s NPR station, 88.1 WYPR, will air my reading of “Freedom” on The Signal on Friday and Saturday September 6 and 7.

If you’re in the Baltimore-DC area, tune in to The Signal on WYPR, 88.1 FM at 7 p.m. on Friday or 1 p.m. on Saturday.

If you’re elsewhere, listen to the program live at www.wypr.org.

“Freedom” is an abridged story from Tracks: A Novel in Stories. It is the story of a soldier who grapples with war and love in the wake of September 11.

After my reading, stay tuned for details about the upcoming Lit and Art at the Baltimore Book Festival later this month.

The Signal is a weekly radio magazine that explores Maryland’s thriving artistic and cultural scene and is produced by Aaron Henkin and Lisa Morgan and hosted by Andy Bienstock.

Visit  www.wypr.org/stationprogram/signal or WYPR at www.wypr.org.

Lit and Art Hits Baltimore Book Fest’s CityLit Stage

When is Lit & Art at the Watermark not at The Watermark?

 

When it is at the Baltimore Book Festival!

 

Join us at 1:30 on September 29 at the Baltimore Book Festival’s CityLit Stage as we feature original art by world-renowned artist Manzar, live banjo by Pop-Grass star Jacob Panic, and original readings by Jessica Anya Blau, Eric D. Goodman, and Nitin Jagdish, and Bathsheba Monk.

 

NPR’s Aaron Henkin (who hosts the weekly cultural exploration of Baltimore’s cultural landscape on WYPR’s The Signal) emcees the event on Sunday, September 29 from 1:30 to 2:30.

 

Then … You don’t want to miss the next big event at The Watermark Gallery. Join us on Sunday, October 13 from 2 to 5 p.m. for Lit & Art at the Watermark, 100 S. Charles St., across from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Original art by Manzar; original songs by Goodloe Byron; readings by Lauren Eisenberg Davis, D.R. Belz, and Barbara Friedland; an exciting presentation by Tom Glenn on the fall of Saigon (he was there as it happened); and a special musical performance by National Book Award nominee Madison Smartt Bell. Did we mention free wine and refreshments?

 

But first … we’ll see you at 1:30 on September 29 at the Baltimore Book Festival’s CityLit Stage.

 

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/schedule/event-detail/535/Lit-&%20Art

 

Live Cargo on WYPR’s The Signal

Earlier this year I read an abridged version of “Live Cargo” from Tracks: A Novel in Stories on Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR.

WYPR’s The Signal is a weekly radio magazine that explores Maryland’s thriving artistic and cultural scene and is produced by Aaron Henkin and Lisa Morgan and hosted by Andy Bienstock.

“Live Cargo” is the story of a Holocaust survivor who fulfills her husband’s dying wish by taking the train to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It is part of Tracks: A Novel in Stories, which is set on a train from Baltimore to Chicago. Here’s how WYPR describes “Live Cargo.”

“It’s the story of a survivor – and that survivor’s memories – so please be advised that the following does include some grim details.  The story also includes strength, and hope…”

Hop aboard at http://programs.wypr.org/podcast/genie-wishes-crownsville-cemetery-and-%E2%80%98human-cargo%E2%80%99. My reading is about 31 minutes into the program.

Here’s the plug from The Signal’s website:

“In observance of Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day – writer Eric D Goodman joins us with the story of a survivor’s pilgrimage to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.”

Listen now at http://programs.wypr.org/podcast/genie-wishes-crownsville-cemetery-and-%E2%80%98human-cargo%E2%80%99

Art Imitating Death Imitating Art

Sometimes moments or scenes or feelings can stay with you for a long time.

In the summer of 1987, my grandfather (father’s side) died. My family was on vacation in Seoul, Korea. We lived in Sasebo, Japan at the time. I remember the Navy Chaplain visiting us in our tatami-mat hotel and delivering the news. We cut our vacation short and flew from Korea to Wyoming for the funeral.

I don’t remember who said it or how it was said, but my teenage self took to heart when a person mentioned how unfortunate it was that the one time you could count on the entire extended family gathering together was for funerals.

When I wrote a story for Tracks about a woman dealing with the death of her parents, that childhood memory still lingered in the back of my mind. That, and a vivid scene from East of Eden when the Hamilton family gathers to talk about their plans after their father (John Steinbeck’s grandfather) died. Of course, on some subconscious level, I realize that I must have been writing through fears of the inevitable as well.

I named the story “Reunion” and wrote this line of dialogue from an estranged neighbor friend: “Why is it that it takes tragedy to bring old friends together?”

On May 9 of this year, about a month ago, my grandmother (mom’s side) died, leaving behind a husband of 68 years who is 95 years old. 

At the viewing and funeral and house, family, friends, and community gathered. It was nice to see so many people paying their respects. But that same feeling echoed and I even had to voice it. “We should try to get together more often,” I said to cousins and uncles and family and friends.

Here’s to art imitating life imitating art.

I read an abridged version of “Reunion” for WYPR’s The Signal. You can catch a podcast under “Reunion” at www.tracksnovel.com/radio.html.  

You can also find it here: http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/84379/Reunion.

Live Cargo on WYPR's The Signal Today

If you’re in the Baltimore-DC area, tune in to The Signal on WYPR, 88.1 FM at 7 tonight or 1 p.m. Saturday (tomorrow) afternoon. If you’re elsewhere, listen to the program live at www.wypr.org.

I’ll be reading an abridged version of “Live Cargo” from Tracks: A Novel in Stories. After my reading, stay tuned for details about the upcoming Lit & Art at the Watermark this Sunday.

The Signal is a weekly radio magazine that explores Maryland’s thriving artistic and cultural scene and is produced by Aaron Henkin and Lisa Morgan and hosted by Andy Bienstock for Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR.

Here’s how WYPR describes my story.

“Holocaust Remembrance Day - Yom Hashoah - begins Sunday evening, April 7th, and continues through Monday until sundown. Writer Eric D Goodman joins us to observe the somber occasion with a short story. It’s the story of a survivor – and that survivor’s memories – so please be advised that the following does include some grim details. The story also includes strength, and hope…”

Get your serving of strength and hope today at 7 p.m. or Saturday at 1 p.m. at 88.1 FM or www.wypr.org.  

Here’s the plug from The Signal’s website:

“In observance of Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day – writer Eric D Goodman joins us with the story of a survivor’s pilgrimage to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.”

Visit www.wypr.org/stationprogram/signal.

Good Day for Idle Chatter

Today seems like a good day for some idle chatter. If you’re in the mood for some small talk, how about spending a few minutes listening to my reading of “Idle Chatter,” a story from Tracks: A Novel in Stories, as broadcast on Baltimore’s NPR station earlier this year?

In the story, Franklin, the conductor of the train, keeps everyone on board comfortable as he contemplates his own addiction to small talk and how it has caused him both pain and pleasure.

Produced by Aaron Henkin at WYPR, the broadcast is about 18 minutes and accented by music for just the right tone. Let the conductor chat you up at the link below.

http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/130094/Idle_Chatter?rn=8lnowic1glmo

You can find additional Tracks readings from NPR at the Tracks website.

http://www.tracksnovel.com/radio.html

Ready to Reset?

For many, the new year is a time for renewal. But for Gene Silverman, resetting his life is something he sometimes needs to do out of necessity — whether to avoid the mob or dodge a hit man.

Get a taste of Gene Silverman, one of the characters from Tracks: A Novel in Stories, by tuning into The Signal tonight at 7 or Saturday at 1 p.m.

The program airs on Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR on 88.1 FM. For those further afield or with conflicting schedules, it is also available online at www.wypr.org/stationprogram/signal.

I’m closing out this week’s program with a reading of an abridged version of “Reset” from Tracks.

As WYPR puts it: “Novelist Eric D Goodman brings us the story of a computer-geek-turned-criminal who finds himself on the run from the mafia.”

Check it out at www.wypr.org/stationprogram/signal.

Get Your Year's First Fiction Fix on NPR

In the mood for a little audio fiction? Tune into Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR on 88.1 FM or online at www.wypr.org to listen to my first fiction reading of 2012.

I’ll be reading an abridged version of “Reset,” a story from Tracks, on The Signal.

The Signal is a weekly radio magazine that explores Maryland’s thriving artistic and cultural scene. It airs on Friday at 7 p.m. and again Saturday at 1 p.m. It’s also available online at www.wypr.org, where you can listen live or to a podcast.

Check it out at www.wypr.org.

Fulfill Your Voyeuristic Fantasies

Advance praise for Tracks, a novel in stories, has been steadily rolling in.

Tracks, a novel in stories, comes out on June 30 – only about 20 more days! For the rest of Tracks Month, I’ll begin sharing a post every day, including endorsements from well-known authors and reviewers, news, videos, event announcements, and more.

Our first “blurb of the day” comes from Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR, 88.1 FM. Aaron Henkin is producer of The Signal, a weekly radio broadcast showcasing Baltimore’s cultural landscape. WYPR’s The Signal has perhaps the longest-lasting relationship with Tracks besides myself. They featured the first reading from Tracks on the air back in April of 2007, and have had me back to read from my fiction seven times since. (Another reading is scheduled for later this month.) Aaron from The Signal knows Tracks as well as anyone. It’s fitting that the first endorsement come from him:

“Who among us hasn’t sat on a train and played at reading the minds of strangers? In this way, Tracks is a voyeuristic fantasy fulfilled. But here’s the real surprise: Once you have mental telepathy, it’s hard to call anyone a stranger anymore.”

~Aaron Henkin,
Baltimore's NPR station, WYPR, 88.1 FM

Don’t be a stranger; fulfill your voyeuristic fantasy at www.TracksNovel.com.

Hit This Lit on NPR Podcast

Last Friday I read an abridgement of my story, “One Last Hit,” on Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR. The serialized excerpt from TRACKS aired on The Signal, on the air and online at noon and 7. TRACKS is a novel in stories that takes place on a train traveling from Baltimore to Chicago.

Miss the broadcast? Listen to the podcast at the link below!

“One Last Hit” was originally published in the Freshly Squeezed anthology published by Loyola’s Apprentice House. It follows a hit man as he prepares to carry out his last job and contemplates how he got into the unscrupulous business to begin with.

Be sure to hit this lit! My reading is about 22 minutes into the podcast at the link below.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wypr/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&id=1672430&pid=347&sid=14

Tune in to NPR for a "Hit" of Fiction

Today I return to the local NPR station (WYPR) to read from my fiction on The Signal. Each week The Signal explores the cultural landscape of Baltimore.

Tune in on the radio or online. The broadcast is at 12 noon and repeats at 7 p.m. today: Friday, July 9. Adjust your radio to 88.1 FM or log on to www.wypr.org.

“One Last Hit” is an abridged story from TRACKS, a novel in stories that takes place on a train traveling from Baltimore to Chicago.

The story was originally published in the Freshly Squeezed anthology published by Loyola’s Apprentice House. It follows a hit man as he prepares to carry out his last job and contemplates how he got into the unscrupulous business to begin with.

The novel is represented by the Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency Inc. in New York.

Enjoy this hit of fiction today at 88.1 FM or www.wypr.org. Tune in at noon or 7.

Tracks Back on NPR

This Friday will see my first radio reading of 2010. I’ll be reading my story “Prewitt’s Plans” from Tracks, my novel in stories, on NPR’s The Signal.

The Signal airs on Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR, every Friday at noon and again at 7 p.m. Tune into 88.1 FM for a tour of Baltimore’s cultural landscape.

In “Prewitt’s Plans,” the main character watches the scenery pass by from his train window as he contemplates how life has passed by too quickly, considers his future plans, and gets to the heart of whether he is the master of his planner or the other way around.

“Prewitt’s Plans was published in the most recent issue of Scribble Magazine.

Tune in to The Signal this Friday at noon or 7 p.m. at 88.1 FM. Or listen to the podcast of the program at http://www.wypr.org/.