Barry Kraft reads from the short writings of Franz Kafka (1883 — 1924) on the 100th anniversary of his demise.

A major figure of 20th literature, Kafka has found his way into current dictionaries under the the adjective, “Kafkaesque” — being variously defined as “having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality”; “in his vision of man’s isolated existence in a dehumanized world”; “characterized by surreal distortion and usually by a sense of impending danger”.

If this were all there was to Franz Kafka, I’d have little inclination of giving a public reading of his writings, nor you (probably) of hearing them. However, Kafka is a kaleidoscope, whose every turn reveals a different configuration — sometimes bleak, sometimes delightful. Enjoy the unexpected vistas!