How do I subscribe to the podcast?
Either click on the link to the left, or, in iTunes, click on "Advanced" in the toolbar, then pull down "Subscribe to podcast." In the blank, paste in feed://www.yarnaudioworks.com/main/rss.xml. (But don't type in the period) The most recent posts should appear in your "Podcast" area.
What are the categories?
Pieces are grouped by categories. At the moment, there are three: The Strand Series, Weave Works, and Radical Spin.
The Strand Series consists of first person narratives. In each, the narrator has experienced a transformation of some kind, large or small, which is detailed over the course of the piece. Each story is mixed with music, and may end with one or more follow-up questions.
Weave Works are, more or less, straightforward documentaries.
Radical Spin pieces are more loosely-constructed pieces that exist somewhere in the nexus of reporting, pure entertainment, and audio collage. Basically, everything else.
The Strand Series
Blue collar babysitter. A portrait of Mike Butler: tannery worker, hard drinker, avid gambler, and, in the eyes of three young boys growing up in suburban Massachusetts in the 1950s, the greatest babysitter ever.
Homewrecker. Having fallen under the spell of a dashing young adventurer, an American college student in Australia endures a series of near-death situations, and in the process learns an unexpected lesson about the nature of marriage, friendship, and commitment.
Seating Mr. Pacino. It's only his second week on the job as house manager at a major American regional theater, and a cinematic icon is paying a visit. That's when the embarrassing situation occurs, one which the house manager must clean up -- quickly, quietly, and literally -- putting every one of his newfound skills to the test.
Meal ticket. When a young doctor questioning his choice of profession has a chance encounter with cinema icon Marlon Brando, the ensuing conversation proves surprisingly profound -- not just for the doctor, but for Brando himself.
Achilles. A touch football enthusiast ventures into the Manhattan singles scene, with only three apparent drawbacks: his crutches, the overly-inquisitive, and the presence of numerous open flames.
Graduation, she spoke. High school's a drag for one young woman with a secret, until she decides to turn graduation into a triumph over the forces that threaten to hold her back from achieving her true potential.
Party out of bounds. On the mend from a traumatic breakup, a downtown loft-dweller throws the party of the century, cranks the volume to eleven, and -- miraculously -- gets away with it. And then the phone rings.
Jewelry. While recovering from a debilitating illness, a public health specialist on safari encounters the mysterious Maasai tribe, and finds that, on the Dark Continent, some Western traditions have a slightly different interpretation.
The gravy card. Attempting to connect with her fellow New Yorkers, a recent transplant from out west seeks refuge in her ethnic heritage, a tactic that works better than anticipated — not just at work, but all over town.
Rubbed out. A massage therapy student finds herself facing a potentially sticky situation when her supervisor allows their client to disrobe — an act that’s against the law in their state.
The scent of bafflement. 1947. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Having returned from World War II, a disillusioned young writer seeks guidance from noted author Vladimir Nabokov, only to find their conversation derailed when the maestro himself poses an impossible question.
Damsel, distressed. A painting mishap tests the limits of one young writer’s sanity when, newly-relocated to NYC, she becomes locked in her bathroom, with a tiny, 1′ x 1′ window her only means of communication with the outside world.
Because she loved her. After suffering through a year of personal and academic setbacks, a high school senior plots revenge on her music teacher, only to turn her moment of triumph into a heartfelt tribute to her ailing mother.
Squiddy, my love. After a chance meeting at the end of an all-night rave, a young man and woman circumnavigate one another until they are reunited under the hot desert sun at Black Rock City, where circumstances conspire to tear them apart forever.
Faux joe. Just out of college, new to the city, two young women cope with the cold, harsh reality of their new lives by seeking out their ideal romantic partner. Then, one morning, in the midst of their hellish daily commute, they meet him.
Her man. In an attempt to discover her Celtic pagan roots, an American singer-actress quits her job and runs off to Dublin for a month, only to find that the Irish harbormaster’s son she dated back in college hasn’t quite forgotten about her.
Slipping. An idyllic vacation spot in Canada becomes the stuff of nightmare when a young woman immerses herself in what appears to be a tranquil stream.
Nuts. A high school student learns he’s vulnerable to more than just prejudice in his small Idaho town when he consumes a spread to which, he finds, he is fatally allergic.
One day MFA. A young waitress in late-’70s New York attempts to further her writing career by taking the advice of her famous customers and getting an advanced degree — only to be told on her first day of class to go home and stay away.
Fly in the ointment. A group of disillusioned college kids crash a fancy gala party at the local museum by faking French accents, only to discover, in spectacular fashion, that their success has a darker side.
Weave Works
Dad to dad: a preparation. In Fall 2009 as my wife entered the late stage of her pregnancy I asked several friends who are recent or long-time dads for advice on becoming a father myself. I interviewed all six over the phone, requesting two pieces of advice, one for first time dads in general and one for me specifically. I'd worked out a precise timeline for transcription, editing, and pubiication of the piece. But things didn't happen according to schedule.Cassavetes' blessing. After that initial spark of inspiration, how do performers know, for a fact, that the profession they've chosen is the right one? For one young girl, growing up on Long Island in the early eighties, that confirmation comes in the form of a chance encounter with an unlikely source of confidence and self-esteem.
The Bakers of Butter Lane. Is there such thing as a recession-proof product in a downward-sliding economy? Three vets of the corporate world are banking on the cupcake as today's luxury item of choice, and that the secret to building a better cupcake lies somewhere between traditional Southern baking and the stylish sophistication all New Yorkers secretly crave.
Brotherly Bond. With "Quantum of Solace," Daniel Craig's second entry in the long-standing James Bond film franchise, two brothers take the opportunity to discuss a lifelong fixation that has become, in a sense, their most meaningful area of common ground.
How are you who you are? The Nadeaus were, to most eyes, an ideal family – enlightened, brilliant, prosperous. But then things turned upside down. In a remarkable series of events, Doug and Lynn Nadeau were forced to re-define their identities and affirm the foundation of their love.
Crass reunion. What if they threw a reunion and no one showed up? Five friends share perspectives on change in the midst of a 15-year college class reunion that, through a series of bizarre events, hews far closer to their college experience than they ever imagined.
Radical Spin
The granduncle fables. Three original, off the wall fables: "The Walrus and the School of Fish," "The Dog Who Liked People Too Much," and "The Flight of the Mammoths," recorded as precursors to the Piper McKenzie production of The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales From the Land of Ice.
Reflections on a summer place. A sound-infused portrait of life on a small island on Lake Champlain, where ten exhausted city-dwellers convene for a week, seeking relaxation and rejuvenation.
Henry. A family treasure passes from this earth, only to be miraculously resurrected, thanks to the kindness and generosity of corporate culture.
