2006 Third Coast ShortDocs: 99 Ways To Tell a Radio Story

Series produced by Third Coast International Audio Festival

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Short radio works inspired by the French literary group Oulipo and cartoonist Matt Madden, and produced according to the following rules:
- each starts with some manifestation of: "To begin with, they never got along."
- each includes a discernible pre-recorded voice, rhythmic noise, and exclamation
- each lasts exactly 2:30 minutes

In 2006, the Third Coast Festival teamed up with cartoonist Matt Madden, and, in the spirit of his Oulipo-inspired book "99 Ways to tell a Story: Exercises in Style," dreamed up the 2006 Third Coast ShortDocs Challenge: 99 Ways to Tell a Radio Story. Together with Matt we designed a set of rules and invited any/everyone to submit short audio stories that followed them. Every submission had to:
- start with some manifestation of: "To begin with, they never got along."
- include a pre-recorded voice, rhythmic noise, and exclamation
- last exactly 2:30 min.

In the end, 101 stories from around the world were submitted to 99 Ways To Tell a Radio Story. Four were chosen as the 2006 ShortDocs, and were presented, with producers on-hand, at the opening session of the 2006 Third Coast Conference.


9 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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Producer Sasha Aslanian's divorced parents listen to audio of their 1963 wedding vows, remember what went wrong, but still can't get over each other.

Bought by KUT and PRX Remix


  • Added: Apr 15, 2011
  • Length: 02:30
  • Purchases: 2
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Two curious siblings finally get what they think they've always wanted.

Bought by KZYX, KUT, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Apr 11, 2011
  • Length: 02:30
  • Purchases: 3
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An inquiry into the nature of human relationships over the course of eons, featuring musical accompaniment in diverse time signatures, and a Britis...

Bought by KISU, KUT, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Apr 11, 2011
  • Length: 02:30
  • Purchases: 3

  • Added: Apr 11, 2011
  • Length: 02:35
  • Purchases: 2
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Translation -- Sylvain, Bruno, Zoe, and Youssef at the PRIM Centre in Montreal, summer 2006.

Bought by KUT and PRX Remix


  • Added: Apr 11, 2011
  • Length: 02:30
  • Purchases: 2

  • Added: Apr 11, 2011
  • Length: 02:30
  • Purchases: 4
Piece image
The answering machine traps a surprising revelation from an "old friend."

Bought by PRX Remix


  • Added: Apr 08, 2011
  • Length: 02:30
  • Purchases: 1

  • Added: Apr 08, 2011
  • Length: 02:30
  • Purchases: 3

  • Added: Apr 08, 2011
  • Length: 02:30
  • Purchases: 2