Tales Well Told: A Story Time for Grown-Ups

Story times are for adults, too. Join master storyteller Harlan Zinck for an entertaining series of short story readings for adults, followed by a discussion.

Join storyteller Harlan Zinck for a Story Time for Grown-Ups series featuring tales of fantasy, mystery and action, all of which have been adapted into popular motion pictures. Each program lasts approximately one hour and is followed by a lively discussion. Though all stories are family friendly, this series is intended for audiences 16 years old and older.

Tuesday, Sept. 10
“Three-Ten to Yuma” by Elmore Leonard

Deputy Paul Scallen is to accompany outlaw Jim Kidd by train to a territorial prison in Yuma, Arizona—unless the ruthless members of Kidd's gang can free him first. Adapted twice for motion pictures—in 1957 with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin and in 2007 with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale—this classic western story was first published in Dime Western Magazine in 1953.

Thursday, Sept. 19
"The Swimmer" by John Cheever

On a warm midsummer Sunday afternoon, suburbanite Neddy Merrill is lounging at a friend's pool when, on a whim, he decides to get home by swimming through all the pools in his neighborhood. This surrealist story, first published in 1964, inspired a 1968 film starring Burt Lancaster.

Tuesday, Sept. 24
"The Man Who Could Work Miracles" by H. G. Wells

Have you ever wanted to be instantly able to make your wildest dreams come true? That's the power suddenly given to a mild and unassuming little clerk in this delightful story from a master of fantasy fiction. Character actor Roland Young starred in the equally charming 1937 British comedy film, directed by Lothar Mendes.

Thursday, Oct. 3
“Eisenheim the Illusionist" by Steven Millhauser

In Europe at the turn of the 20th century, a series of extraordinary tricks by a mysterious magician both baffles and captivates audiences—but is something darker afoot? This story, originally published in The Barnum Museum in 1990, was filmed in 2006 as "The Illusionist", starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel.

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