Welcome to WORDTheatre Weekly: The Short Story Podcast where great authors and actors meet. I’m your host, Cedering Fox, WORDTheatre’s Founder & Artistic Director.

Today, you will be listening to Brian Doyle, a beloved essayist, poet, and friend. We will be honoring Brian at our May 19th event, “Growing Pains” close to the nine year anniversary of his death. JK Simmons, who will read the story you are about to hear, will be returning to perform another piece by Brian at the event. JK was introduced to Brian through WORDTheatre and has since become a fan in his own right. Once you hear Brian’s work, we trust that you will, too.

Before we get started, please note that WORDTheatre holds the copyright to these recordings and no portion of anything you hear on WORDTheatre Weekly, our short story podcast, may be reproduced without permission.

Here is JK Simmons performing “The Meteorites” by Brian Doyle.

SIMMONS PERFORMS THE PIECE.

You’ve just heard JK Simmons perform “The Meteorites” written by Brian Doyle.

Please join us in New York on May 19th for “Growing Pains,” our celebration of the newest Pushcart Anthology. JK Simmons will be joined by fellow actors Thomas Sadoski, Xander Berkeley, and one more TBA.

Authors Mary Gordon, Jess Row, and David Means will be in attendance to have their pieces read. Go to wordtheatre.org/events for tickets and information. We hope to see you there!

If you'd like to purchase books by any of the authors featured on this podcast, visit bookshop.org/shop/wordtheatre and you’ll be helping two literary nonprofits.

If you’re enjoying what you hear, please subscribe and leave a review. If you want to support WORDTheatre’s programming for student and adult audiences, we welcome you to sign up to become a Patron or Enthusiast Member. For more information, visit wordtheatre.org or if you are living in or near the UK, visit wordtheatreuk.org.

We’d like to thank the LA Department of Arts & Culture, Randy & Jane Sinisi & Palisades Post for their ongoing support. And you, our audience, thank you for listening.

Until next week, this is Cedering Fox, signing off!