New American Stories presents diverse stories of contemporary American life and dreams lost and found, by four of the best young, contemporary writers Jhumpa Lahiri, Sherman Alexie, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Aleksandar Hemon, as performed by terrific stage and screen actors. All four writers have a unique perspective on the American experience which is reflected in their work. Whether they are immigrants from another country, or in the case of Sherman Alexie, a Native American, they're all writing from a voice that comes from being an outsider. They also share a well-deserved, universal praise for their work.

Aleksandar Hemon's Good Living
Performed by Boyd Gaines
A Bosnian emigrant seeks the American dream while selling magazines door to door in Chicago

Jhumpa Lahiri's Hell-Heaven
Performed by Rita Wolf
passions and tensions in a Bengali family in Cambridge, Mass

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's The Thing Around Your Neck
Performed by Condola Rashad
A young Nigerian woman takes the Greyhound bus to the end of the line and starts a new life in Hartford

Sherman Alexie's Breaking and Entering
Performed by BD Wong
A break-in and its dramatic consequences lead a Spokane Indian to rethink his entire life...

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