Writing Aloud: The Art of Losing

The Art of Losing features three penetrating stories about people dealing with loss. Whether we’re talking about car keys, weight, consciousness, money, loved ones, or the big game, every life includes loss. Three writers provide strange and sensitive windows into the ups and downs of losing.

The March 24 Writing Aloud opens with Shell Game with Organs, written by Jacob M. Appel (of New York, NY) and read by Lenny Haas. Shell Game with Organs depicts a middle-aged magician struggling with his ailing girlfriend, his aging mother, and his ornery best friend, Houdini the parrot.

Losing in General, written by Randall Brown (of Wynnewood, PA) and read by Allen Radway follows a young boy breaking free from the vicious cycle of his mother’s promiscuity and father’s mental illness, to go root for the Washington Generals, destined to lose to the Harlem Globetrotters.

Finally, The Tennis Partner, written by Alix Olin (of Easton, PA) and read by Neill Hartley, traces a son’s teenage heartbreak and a father’s terrible backhand, the ache of losing loved ones and the pain of being on the losing team.