The finalists generally go in alphabetical order (by last name), so Don DeLillo is up first. He'll read from his story, "The Starveling." It's about a New Yorker with a movie-going compulsion (as in watching several every single day) who encounters someone he imagines is a kindred spirit.
Next up is Steven Millhauser who will read from "Snowmen," which is about, well, what you'd guess it would be about. Except in the suburban town where the boy who narrates lives, the snow creations move beyond the conventional three stacked spheres with coal eyes and carrot noses to more and more elaborate constructions. Millhauser might also read something new along with an excerpt from this story.
Lastly, Edith Pearlman will read her story "Mates." A summary or description doesn't really do justice to this story. Suffice it to say, it's simple but thoughtful and elegant.
Of course, it's the author's prerogative to change his or her mind. So this could change. If you really want to be prepared, might I suggest you read the finalists' entire collections?
