Selected Shorts: French Fiction

shorts_logo.jpgThis program of French-themed short stories opens with a delightful tale by Guy de Maupassant (1850 to 1893), "A Parisian Affair," which depicts the adventures of a bored provincial housewife seeking the Paris of her fantasies. Translated by Sian Miles, it is read by stage and screen star Rene Auberjonois, who, though born in New York City, is related to Napoleon Bonaparte.

From the sophisticated salons and boudoirs de Maupassant's Paris, our second story, an excerpt from the novel Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow, takes us to the public housing projects of the Paris suburb of Pantin, as depicted by Faïza Guène, a child of Algerian immigrants who grew up there. The excerpt is read by distinguished theatre actress Sonia Manzano, who has for many years voiced the character of María on Sesame Street.

To complete this French fiction hour, rare and strange 1878 piece about the phantom transmission of a musical secret across the generations, "The Secret of the Old Music," by the French aristocrat Auguste Villiers de l'Isle Adam, vibrantly read by Philippe de Montebello.

(Airs 7-8pm; pre-empts Which Way, LA?)

Banner image of Sonia Manzano by Richard Termine

Credits