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)
More in Literature
Act Four: I’m Great, Thanks For NOT Asking
Marie Phillips reads a short story involving an aloof friend, a goose, and some extreme gardening. (7 minutes)
Act Three: Storycorps, the Post-Apocalypse Edition
Simon Rich reads his short story "History Report," in which a father explains the sex robots of the future.
Act Three: Ride or Die
There are many kids who do not gradually discover that grown ups don’t have a handle on everything. These kids already know.
Staff Recommendations
Break-Up
Starlee Kine tries to write the perfect break-up song with some help from Phil Collins.
Lower 9 + 10
We go to the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans to talk to residents about what matters most to them ten years after the hurricane.