The Memorial Day Special

Pictured: Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien's contemporary classic "The Things They Carried" performed by Dylan Baker.

Selected Shorts honors the nation's fallen with a special featuring the title story from Tim O'Brien's Pulitzer Prize-nominated anthology, performed by Dylan Baker. The Memorial Day Special airs Monday, May 30 at 1 p.m., and repeats at 11 p.m. on AM 1370/FM-HD91.5-2.

On the 21st anniversary of the release of Tim O'Brien's contemporary classic, Selected Shorts presents the author's stirring tale of foot soldiers in the Vietnam War."The Things They Carried" is a powerful if fictional portrayal of the reality of America's doomed enterprise in Vietnam. It's the title story of a book in which O'Brien follows one platoon of grunts. The book's fantastic literary conceit is that the troops' experience is best conveyed by listing in detail what they carried in their backpacks and pockets, and on their shoulders and necks.

When cataloging the items makes the imaginative leap into a description of other things they carried — guilt, fear, memories and more — the piece earns its status as a great American short story.

The performer is Dylan Baker, whose numerous film and television credits include appearances on "The Good Wife," "Law and Order," "Monk" and "Spiderman 3."