POURING THE SUN An Immigrant's Journey

Jay O'Callahan creates a story of steelworkers in the 1930s in his lively storytelling style. This is not a static text, and the told-tale has a unique dynamic force. O'Callahan created this story of a Polish-American family after hours of kitchen-table conversations in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The story--composed for the Steel Festival in September 1999--is rapid and complex. The new experiences of the immigrants, the tragedies and losses and memories of home, are mixed in a charged and occasionally confusing narrative. But listeners must stay the course and listen to it all, honoring as it does the hard work and pride of many Americans. Certain images remain long after the end--like the "pouring the sun" metaphor of the huge vats of molten steel. R.F.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 01]