Last year, I was in Alaska for a while. The glaciers I saw were the most brilliant blue–and as I watched them break apart (folks call it “calving”) all I could think of was the history of that ice–time and pressure had turned it into something beautiful, and now it was crumbling apart, after thousands of years. The image came back to me as I listened to Haruki Murakami’s story “Ice Man,”performed by Jane Curtin on Selected Shorts –a love story between a woman and a man made of ice. Murakami has an imagination like no other, and the ability to capture that middle ground between waking and sleeping, reality and dreams. This week’s episode is dedicated entirely to his world, with the second story, “Lederhosen,” performed by Aasif Mandvi. If you aren’t familiar with Murakami’s work, I’d suggest starting with his author interview over at The Paris Review, and then download our free podcast. It’s snowing here in Brooklyn and all over the East Coast. Stay in, stay warm and turn on your radio.