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57
March 14, 1997

Delivery

Stories about the delivery business and the people in it. UPS men, bike messengers, FedEx dispatchers.

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  • Transcript

NOTE: This episode originally included a story by reporter Stephen Glass, which we have removed because of questions about its truthfulness. This story is included in the transcript only for reference.

Prologue

Host Ira Glass goes to the Federal Express hub at Memphis to watch 1.2 million pieces of overnight mail get sorted in one night and to talk to the adrenaline junkies in the FedEx Command Center. (5 minutes)

By

Ira Glass
Act One

Speed

Tony Starbucks, interviewed by Dierdre Dolan and Paul Tough. (7 minutes)

By

Dierdre Dolan
Paul Tough
Act Two

Who You Meet

"Edison, New Jersey," a story about delivering pool tables from Junot Diaz's book Drown. (18 minutes)

By

Junot Diaz
Act Three

World Premiere

David Sedaris play, with Toby Wherry and Penelope Boyer. (13 minutes)

By

David Sedaris
Act Four

Check Out the Package on That Guy

Nancy Updike and UPS Men. (6 minutes)

By

Nancy Updike
Act Five

Faith Shattered

This episode originally included a fifth act, a story by reporter Stephen Glass about boycotting FedEx, which we have removed because of questions about its truthfulness. The story is included in the transcript for reference.

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Act Four: Noble Calling

Now in exile, Jose Ramos Horta spent two decades as the leading international spokesman against the invasion of his country by Indonesia.

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Act V

A group of inmates at a high-security prison stage a production of the last act of Hamlet.

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