A weekly showcase of local stories airing Saturdays at 5:30pm
In this episode of The Porch Swing:
Brandon Shurr: What Goes Around…
A silly subterfuge staged by a bored teenager has new relevance for his adult self.
Ellen Wilson Pruitt: Building Bridges
A family pondering the whereabouts of a soldier son spots their loved one in a magazine.
Ruxandra Pop: Old Professors Never Die
A Romanian scholar celebrates her folklorist grandfather.
Lee Hutchinson: Caught With Our Pants Down
A kid growing up during The Great Depression gets caught skinny-dipping.
Kadence Bull: The Great Breakfast Hoax
A Midwestern townie laments the loss of a greasy downtown diner.
In this episode of The Porch Swing:
Lee Hutchinson: Worn To A Frazzle
An Air Force radio operator recalls his haphazard training and deployment in WWII.
Rhonda: Paper Plate Ceremony
It's love at first sight between a Native American and a poofy dog.
Dillon: Chicken Bus To Dysentery
A traveler's gustatory whims end in intestinal revolt.
Ed Schwartzman: Eleven Songs
A father loses his son to suicide and tries to overcome crushing sadness by helping others.
Ellen Wilson Pruitt: Hard Tack
A ghastly story set against the bleak backdrop of Civil War hunger and hardship.
In this episode of The Porch Swing:
Malcolm Abrams: Blue Numbers And Blue Lights
A story told as a diary entry recalls the life of a six-year-old Jewish kid in post-WWII Canada.
Julie James: A Creek Runs Through It
Crawdads in Barbie's pool and margarine tub boats color the memories of a child's love of the great outdoors.
In this episode of The Porch Swing:
A real-life "giving tree" offers comfort and continuity to the brokenhearted
A four-year-old shaves his head in solidarity with his cancer-stricken Grandpa
In this episode of The Porch Swing:
A college alum reminisces about his bohemian campus lifestyle
An exotic family vacation is the setting for an illegal encounter with a sea mammal
An elder shares warm memories of his time as a young man in South America
A band playing at a house party attracts an unsavory groupie
Mayhem ensues when a teacher tries to please a finicky serpent
In this episode of The Porch Swing:
A young man exploring his sexuality bounces between old flames and new
A student studying abroad is dumbstruck by a frozen wonderland
A youngster proudly beams as he unleashes a trio of vignettes
A veteran recalls landing a very big plane on only two wheels
A youngster's stuffed animal gives comfort in the midst of panic
An American is inspired by street art down under
In this episode of The Porch Swing:
A bovine interpreter seeks udderly safe shelter from a storm
A man who lost his father to cancer draws strength from a man he never met
A construction worker descends stairs that don't yet exist
A former Marine recalls his time in Vietnam and back in the U.S. as a sympathetic war protest riot control troop
In this episode of The Porch Swing:
A student participating in a wilderness challenge gets lost in the woods.
A Marine wounded in Vietnam learns the truth about the war.
A WWII veteran recounts a harrowing mission into the heart of Nazi Germany.
A young storyteller spins a fantastic yarn about man versus beast.
In this episode of The Porch Swing:
A freshman drummer embarrasses herself in front of a high school crush
An Army veteran returning home battles a midflight hijacking of his wits
A child of the 80's suffers The Worst Wedgie of All Time
A reluctant Midwestern transplant tries hard to be a Hoosier
In this episode of The Porch Swing:
An aspiring writer learns how to document life happening to everyone but him
A young daredevil braves a fierce waterslide
A skeptic of the supernatural shares his home with a ensemble of paranormal entities
A disgruntled waitress seeks vengeance
A snooty writer sees stars