
- Playing
- Polly's Boa
- From
- Jackson Braider
Presented over the Wildcat "Commentary" series in slightly different form.
There are some people in this world who are simply magnets to the strange, the curious, the wonderful. Polly Thayer Starr is one of those people. Thousands walk along the Esplanade along the Charles River in Boston every day -- but what happens in this story could only have happened to Polly.
Listen on!
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Piece Description
Presented over the Wildcat "Commentary" series in slightly different form. There are some people in this world who are simply magnets to the strange, the curious, the wonderful. Polly Thayer Starr is one of those people. Thousands walk along the Esplanade along the Charles River in Boston every day -- but what happens in this story could only have happened to Polly. Listen on!
3 Comments
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New in Frozen SnakesThis is the story of an old woman - old at the story's telling, anyway - who finds a frozen boa constrictor in Boston. We hear only her voice telling of the find and the ensuing (very minor) events. There is also some piano music, which, though it occasionally verges on distracting, mostly sets just the right tone for this gently absurd little tale. The editor in me wants it slightly shorter, the music pulled back a notch. The listener in me likes it just fine as is. This is a story that tells us nothing about progess in Iraq, the ideology of the next pope, nor even about a fascinating new trend in reptilian-human relations. And bully for that. It reminds me of the sonic IDs used to great effect on Jay Allison's Cape and Islands stations. In a better public radio universe, I could be surprised by this at any time of the day. From such weft, do we weave the fabric of our community. |
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Review of Polly's BoaStrange life all around and in our midst. The First Person's (was that Polly?) voice is wonderfully different: hmm, maybe and aged Scarlet O'hara tripping on impersonating Mike Myers doing Keith Richards, whilst drinking Mint Julips on the dirty old banks of the river Charles Burns.
Her voice will stay with me for quite some time. I loved the first person presentation... |
Broadcast History
Aired as part of the Wildcat commentary series in February, 2004.
Musical Works
two piano pieces by Erik Satie





Hans Anderson
Posted on June 08, 2009 at 11:38 PM | Permalink
Not a welcome mat!
A boa constrictor "asleep" on in the vestibule? "No one would ring the doorbell." Yeah, no way! :-) What do you do with a dead boa's body when you no longer have a use for it?
Definitely an odd tale, in a good way.