Tim, you are relatively new to Duluth, so  I'm betting this is news to you: Until 2013, for decades UMD's Joseph Maiolo, who taught fiction writing and various literature classes at UMD (and was also a master of the short story, having learned the craft from Peter Taylor himself), read Capote's "A Christmas Memory" during the last week of classes before Christmas break, the last dozen or so of those years at the Weber. Joe was a native of West Virginia who grew up in Virginia's Cumberland Mountains. Despite moving to Duluth in 1976, Joe's voice maintained its smooth southern drawl throughout most of his life; consequently, his reading of Capote's story was to us Duluthians, ironically, a much more "authentic" reading of the story than Capote's own high-pitched, nasally version. Sadly, Joe developed ALS, and the first thing affected were the muscles in his throat.  Before he passed away a year ago this past autumn, he could no longer speak.

Luckily for us, KUMD recorded his reading of Capote's story a few years ago. They aren't airing it this year, but it is available online. And if anyone is interested in learning more about Joe, there is biographical info on the Overcoat Books website.

Tim, thanks for creating this opportunity to share Joe's reading with the PDD community. I highly recommend it to everyone. And thanks for providing the opportunity for me to remember a dear friend and mentor; you've given me an unexpected Christmas gift.