Valentine’s Day ’99

When Anne Staggs started to fall for an inmate named Charles in the Texas prison system, she was up against odds as daunting as they ever get for two people. It was against the rules, possibly dangerous, and could have gotten her fired. They could never say anything in front of other people and he was—not to put too fine a point on this—a convicted murderer. Still, they married—even though they never see each other. (24 minutes)

The story of The Arabian Nights is actually 350 or 400 stories, depending on how you count them. Many of the stories are stories of impossible love, including the very last story in the whole epic tale—the story of Jasmine and Almond. Mary Zimmerman, a Chicago director who adapted The Arabian Nights for stage, explains the story and reads from it. (5 minutes)