Show 4 t y 1 r 4 Q z v J. J The f Y j. j I w. w r af t v V it t r ST r t 1 4 i l- l 3 r 4 f s 1 t tI f r 01 of 1 J Smug r ar t J. J V V t C i i Funded by b by a grant from the ti National Endowment for forthe forthe forthe the Humanities THE AM AMERICAN AMERICAN AMER AMER- R- R ICAN SHORT STORY series was aired for the first time last year over PBS affiliated television stations across the country As an outgrowth of the video films a unique paperback paperback paperback paper paper- back edition called The American American American Am Am- Short Story has been issued by Dell Publishing Company The new volume draws together under one cover the nine short stories written by prominent American American American Am Am- authors which were used as the basis for the television television television tele tele- vision series American authors represented represented represented in the book are F. F Scott Fitzgerald Sherwood Anderson Ernest Hemingway Heming Heming- way Richard Wight Ambrose Ambrose Ambrose Am Am- brose Bierce Henry James Stephen Crane Flannery ery OConnor O'Connor 0 O Connor and John Updike Their stories are Bernice Bobs Her Hair Im a Fool Soldiers Home Almos Almos' a Man Man Parker Adderson r T The e the Jolly Corner Blue Hotel The Displaced Person Person Person Per Per- son and The Music School The American Short Story contains a forward by Robert Robert Robert Rob Rob- ert Geller Executive Producer Producer Pro Pro- Producer ducer of THE AMERICAN SHORT STORY television j I i series an an introduction by Calvin Skaggs Chairman of the Literary Advisory Committee Committee Committee Com Com- which participated in script development and interpretive interpretive interpretive in in- essays of literary literary literary liter liter- ary criticism which describe analyze and evaluate the individual individual individual in in- stories their authors authors authors auth auth- ors and their historical con con- texts In addition to the authors' authors texts The American ican Short Story contains three complete complete com corri- teleplays These are Bernice Bobs Her Hair by Joan Silver Soldiers Soldier's Soldiers Soldier's Soldiers Soldier's Sol Sol- Sol Sol- diers dier's Home by Robert Geller Geller Geller Gel Gel- ler and T The e Music Musi School by John Korty Representative scenes from each of the other six stories include teleplay excerpts from Im I'm a a Fool by byRon byRon byRon Ron Cowne Almos' Almos a Man Manby Manby Manby by Leslie Lee Parker Adderson Adderson Adderson Ad Ad- derson Philosopher by Arthus Arthus Ar- Ar thus hus Barron Barren The Blue Hotel by H. H M. M The Displaced Displaced Dis Dis- placed Person by Horton Foote and The Jolly Corner by Arthur Barron Barren The format of The America American American Amer Amer- ica ican Short Story presents the reader with a happy marriage marriage marriage mar mar- of original text and teleplay It is fascinating for example to read John Updike's Updike's Updike's Up Up- dikes dike's The Music School as ashe ashe ashe he wrote it then to reread it with its parallel action as presented on television The rereading is made easier beca because because be be- ca cause e the teleplay y actions actions are printed on the thel left lef ft t of the page while the narrative is carried on the right One benefit in using this format is that such a careful reading reading reading read read- ing brings a new perspective to the meaning of the authors author's authors author's authors author's auth auth- ors or's words The American Short Story was developed in response to requests from individual viewers and schools and ana c colleges col colleges col- col l- l leges throughout the country The stories which span the past century present dramatic dramatic dramatic dra dra- matic insights into the lifestyles lifestyles lifestyles life life- styles and social issues of the American people It is this collective examination of Amer American can culture which led the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide funds for the first television series about the subject The National Endowment for the Humanities considers THE AMERICAN SHORT HORT STORY grant to be a good example of the expanding influence of humanities ties throughout th the United States The Humanities Endowments Endowment's Endowments Endowment's Endowments Endowment's Endow Endow- ments ment's award of just over two million dollars which was made to Learning in Focus Inc in New York provided a television series which reached millions of Americans during its first showing and millions more during its rebroadcast That successful series in turn led to the production of a useful and enjoyable book and to plans for combining the television television television tele tele- vision reruns with both credit and non-credit non courses at some of the nations nation's colleges The National Endowment for the Humanities has provided provided pro pro- provided vided a second grant of to Learning in Fo- Fo for or production pre-production 1 work on another short story short story series as well as a matching matching matching match match- ing grant of for product production on The eight stories for this second series are in inthe inthe inthe the process of being selected THE AMERICAN SHORT STORY is the first dramatic series made for US U.S. public television to have been purchased purchased purchased pur pur- chased by BBC II for presentation presentation presentation pre pre- in the United King King- dom For further information about THE AMERICAN SHORT STORY contact contact contact con con- tact LEARNING IN FOCUS INC West Street New York New York 1 11 1009 1009 |