When triggered by a challenge from her peers, the daughter of a former military interrogator puts her father's inhumane lessons to the test, endangering her friends in order to protect herself.
“Little Bird” is adapted from the short story of the same name which won the Black Warrior Review Fiction Contest in 2014. I wrote the first draft of the story in grad school in a class titled The Literature of War. The title comes from an Army cadence call in which the speaker lures a beautiful bird to the window sill and kills it. I was inspired by the grotesque and inhumane images from Abu Ghraib prison. I couldn’t help imagining those guards who treated others in such a despicable manner going home to their own families.
The story has been adapted into a staged reading as well as a screenplay. This episode contains profanity and adult situations as well as suggestions of abuse. It is intended for listeners over the age of 13.
A little bird with a yellow bill
Was sittin' on my window sill
I lured her in with a piece of bread
And then I smashed her little head
—Army cadence call
Narrator: Lily Sanders
Soldier: Kai McAlvin
Sir: Tim Knudson
Sam: Ryan Goffman
Eddie: Eddie Philpot
Marco: Marco Marx
Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay.
Special thanks to Annie Weaver, Shenandoah Evans, and Travis Maguire.
Music by Trevor Tremaine
Voices:
Aryeh Krause-Nadler
Ethan Herschenfeld
Irene Santiago
Ronald Woodhead
Danny Gavigan
Reagan Prum
Catherine Gaffney
Elizabeth Pan
Evan Judway
Bryce Townsend
Carrie Gibson
Jennifer Keane
Rich Greene
All episodes written and directed by Michael Mau
Theme music composed by Trevor Tremaine
Main title artwork by Geneva Hicks
To find out more about our cast, to read the original short stories, or donate to the show so we can make an unforgettable second season, visit us at ablindplaypodcast.com or on Instagram @mauhausproductions.