This weekend on Selected Shorts, we count the ways we love Dan Chaon. I don’t think there is anyone out there more beloved by his students or more admired by his fellow writers. He’s not only an amazingly talented wordsmith, he is also kind, as well as outrageously talented at speaking in front of a crowd. The first time I met Dan was at a panel at AWP. I was nervous in that way huge fans are when meeting writers they have read and followed for years. But Dan was so charming and funny, and immediately put everyone in the room at ease. As a writer, Dan has a knack for taking the darkest parts of people’s lives and weaving them into things of beauty. As the New York Times said in their review of Dan’s latest book, Await Your Reply, “Chaon has fashioned a braid out of barbed wire.” This weekend’s episode of Selected Shorts is dedicated entirely to a performance of his story “The Bees” by Tony Award winner Boyd Gaines. Afterwards, Isaiah does a great interview with Dan about his writing. I wish I’d been there, but this program was recorded a few years ago. I’ll be back on air next week with stories from Ian Frazier, Ellen Currie, Paul Simms and Jules Verne. For your time/station, go here.
