Tall And True Short Reads

Tall And True Short Reads

The Tall And True Short Reads podcast features short stories, blog posts and other writing written and narrated by Robert Fairhead from the Tall And True writers' website. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

February 6, 2025 8 mins

The terrace house door creaks open, and the women sitting in the converted front room glance at the newcomers: another nervous-looking young woman in her late teens or early twenties and an older woman, probably her mother, judging by their shared chubby features. The two women cross to the receptionist's desk.

The Nine Lives of Leo Roberts — Prologue: The Clinic is a short story by Robert Fairhead from the Tall And True writers' we...

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Tall And True Short Reads is a storytelling podcast featuring short stories, blog posts and other writings from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

"Most episodes from the past four seasons of the podcast are standalone, but I've also released multipart episodes for longer short stories. For Season Five, I'm doing something different. I'm writing and narrating a series of interconnected short...

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December 19, 2024 24 mins

Since Episode 100, I've taken a break from podcasting to plan a new direction for Season Five of Tall And True Short Reads, which I hope to launch early next year. Meanwhile, I've "gift-wrapped" the first episodes from Seasons One to Four of the podcast for this year's bumper Kris Kringle episode.

The stories written and narrated by Robert Fairhead for The Kris Kringle - Xmas 2024 first appeared on the Tall And True writers' website...

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October 1, 2024 7 mins

If you thought about it, the process for selecting the first matter transference test pilot was archaic, although Mae considered it a lucky omen when she drew the Blue 15 raffle ticket. Blue, not pink, was her favourite colour as a girl, and at 15, Mae had decided she wanted to become an astronaut.

Twin Souls in the Universe is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the st...

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September 17, 2024 7 mins

I'm getting too old for this. My speechwriter's pulse quickens as the PM mounts the flag-decked stage, flanked by senior ministers and mining industry executives, to announce her government's green coal plan. Panned by environmentalists and scientists, polling suggests it could be a vote winner … if the PM nails my speech.

My Speech is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Rea...

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September 1, 2024 8 mins

The local dog club, where I volunteered as a trainer for twenty years, ran season-ending Fun Days with events like Fancy Dress, Agility Slalom, Waggliest Tail, and other novelty races that changed from year to year. One of my favourites was the Sack Race, where my dear old dog and I always placed third.

For the Sake of a Story is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the po...

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August 14, 2024 7 mins

Excuse me, humanity, please pay attention. I have an urgent message. "What? Not in the middle of my reality TV show!" I'm sorry. I'll be brief. But first, a little background. My message concerns the fate of a pale blue dot in the inky expanse of the universe. Beyond its fragile borders is vast nothingness.

You Have Been Warned is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the...

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July 28, 2024 6 mins

I open my eyes, blink and try to focus on the bright lights set into the white ceiling flying past overhead. I hear beeps and muffled voices. It feels like I'm strapped to a camp stretcher, but it's moving. I'm on a hospital gurney. What happened? I want to ask. But there's a tube down my throat, and I can't talk.

The Light Above is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read t...

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July 9, 2024 8 mins

In 1987, my wife and I shouldered our backpacks and set off from Australia. The plan was to live and work overseas in England for two years, using it as a base for UK and wider world travels. And the widest of these were inspired by reading books like Alan Moorehead's The White Nile and The Blue Nile.

The White and Blue Niles is a travel blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read ...

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June 17, 2024 6 mins

Have you ever had one of those mornings? You know, where everything goes wrong. It's like a farce, a series of mishaps increasing in frequency and intensity that have you howling with side-splitting laughter or shedding tears of frustration.

One of Those Mornings is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the story on Tall And True: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/fiction/sh...

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May 27, 2024 6 mins

Teresa's first thing in the morning text message was a punch in the guts. "Sorry, Colin. I love you, but we're on different journeys. Let's stay friends." I blinked twice to clear my eyes and was about to respond, "Are you serious?" but threw the phone against the bedroom wall instead.

Different Journeys is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the story on Tall And True:...

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May 9, 2024 9 mins

I've lost a few things over the years but never imagined losing a story! I only realised I'd "lost" A Window Table when I started working on a blog post to mark my fourth anniversary of writing Furious Fictions. However, when I found and read a copy of the story, I didn't recognise its plot or characters.

This double-feature episode includes the short story A Window Table and a companion blog post, The Lost and Found Story, from the...

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April 18, 2024 6 mins

Less than forty-eight hours after receiving her online order, Third Age Cybertronics delivered Jack to Daisy, a sprightly centenarian who purchased the Advanced Companion Droid to help her with household chores and carry her bags when travelling.

A New Jack is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the story on Tall And True: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/fiction/short-st...

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April 1, 2024 11 mins

My first "published" writing was an Enid Blyton-Famous Five-style adventure story, Sand Island, in 1972. I wrote the story and illustrated it with coloured Texta markers. My aunt, the only one in our family with a typewriter, typed up the manuscript. And my father helped bind and cover the book. I was ten.

A Good Story is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the post and s...

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March 14, 2024 7 mins

Eighteen-year-old Hugo glanced up at the train station clock. It seemed time had stood still, with the minute hand barely moved since he'd last checked. He confirmed the time on his watch and then looked at the departure board, breathing a sigh of relief. His train was running on schedule.

Moving On is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the story on Tall And True: http...

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February 28, 2024 7 mins

While sorting through storage boxes at home, I found an old notebook belonging to my son. It wasn't a school exercise book but something he'd jotted and doodled in as a twelve-year-old. Among its random pages was a short story he'd written in 2014 about a father who doesn't have "great ideas".

Trigger warning: This episode mentions teenage self-harm and death.

Lifeline Australia: https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Finding Inspiration is a b...

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February 15, 2024 7 mins

If you ask me, the Moon is the best object in the night sky. And you don't need an expensive telescope to observe it. A pair of binoculars does the trick. I'm looking at the Moon now, leaning against a wall to steady my hands, and it's a beautiful sight. No wonder it inspires poets and lovers.

The Lonely Moon is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the story on Tall And ...

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January 17, 2024 7 mins

"In space no one can hear you scream. But what if you're deep in the backwoods, in an isolated cabin on a dead-end trail?" Karen set aside the book. A horror story was not ideal reading for the off-grid log cabin Peter had booked for their thirtieth wedding anniversary weekend, especially as she was alone in bed, listening to wind from a storm whistle through cracks in the doors and windows.

A Knock at the Door is a short story from...

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December 21, 2023 17 mins

I'm taking a short break from podcasting because I'm going on a long road trip with my son from Sydney to Western Australia to spend Xmas and New Year with our WA family. But as I did in 2022, I've put together a Kris Kringle collection featuring three episodes from the Tall And True Short Reads archive: Too Late, Lenny, Stuck in Time and Family Reflections.

The Kris Kringle - Xmas 2023 stories first appeared on the Tall And Tr...

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December 8, 2023 6 mins

Cassie lay perfectly still in bed, staring at the shadowy shape on the ceiling overhead. A bulky body and eight legs, a spider, but this wasn't Incy Wincy. It was a huntsman with long hairy legs, needle-sharp fangs, and a jump so powerful that if human, it could win gold at the pole vault without a pole.

In Her Head is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the story on Ta...

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