"...he took his hands off the controls in a paroxysm of joy and shouted, 'Strap on your safety belt, Mrs. Gadshill! We're going to make a loop-the-loop!'"

—From Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor by John Cheever

A compilation of classic tales by great American writers performed by terrific actors, with a lineup including Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners, and PEN Award winners.

Amy Tan's

Rules of the Game

performed by Freda Foh Shen

A strict Chinese mother bedevils her chess prodigy daughter

Donald Barthelme's

Game

performed by David Strathairn

Playing cosmic chicken in a nuclear bunker

Eudora Welty's

Why I Live at the P.O.

performed by Stockard Channing

Hilarious story of an independent young woman striking out on her own

Edgar Allan Poe's

The Black Cat

performed by René Auberjonois

Terrifyingly delicious Poe's masterpiece

Joyce Carol Oates'

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

performed by Christine Baranski

Sly, creepy tale of a teenage girl's seduction by a dangerous drifter

John Sayles'

At the Anarchists' Convention

performed by Jerry Stiller

laugh-out-loud classic

Alice Walker's

Everyday Use

performed by Carmen de Lavallade

Siblings disagree about a precious piece of their family heritage

John Cheever's

Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor

performed by Malachy McCourt

A high-rise elevator operator is overwhelmed by his riders' holiday generosity