The Voice of the Arts

Originally published in 1950, Frank O’Connor’s “First Confession” uses humor and playfulness to tell the story of a young boy’s fears over going to give his first ever confession at Church. This wonderful story sharply exhibits O’Connor’s wit and shows real sympathy for Jackie, his seven-year-old protagonist.

Among his many talents, Irish writer Frank O’Connor had a particular gift for showing the world through the eyes of young, precocious, often naive protagonists, like Larry Delaney of his 1954 story “The Genius.” Larry wants to be the town’s first proper genius and win the affections of Una Dwyer — first, he just has to find out where babies come from.

This week’s episode features a reading of Flannery O’Connor’s “A Late Encounter with the Enemy.” Written in 1953 and published in 1955 in her short story collection “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” this is O’Connor’s only story dealing with the American Civil War.

Is it humanly possible to have too much cowbell? I mean is it physically, psychologically, emotionally, and morally possible to have too much cowbell?

Acting at its finest, and a story about an imaginary playmate who can’t play because he has to take a meeting.