Selected Prose

Michael McSweeney reads a chapter from his upcoming novel, Heroman

Michael is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, where he lives with his partner and cat.

Allie Rowbottom is today's guest! 

Allie is the author of the New York Times Editors’ Choice memoir Jell-O Girls (Little Brown) and the upcoming novel Aesthetica (SoHo Press). Allie's writing has appeared in Vanity Fair, Salon, Lit Hub, No Tokens, NY Tyrant, The Drunken Canal, Bitch, and elsewhere. She has a PhD in literature and creative writing from the University of Houston and an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts and has taught fiction and non-fiction at the University of Houston, CalArts, and Catapult.

In this episode, we discuss her upcoming book at length, explore the depths of Instagram and influencer culture, and Allie gives us invaluable lessons on incorporating the language of the social media into our work.

Thrilled to have Allie on the show. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram and keep your eyes out for Aesthetica, coming soon. 

If you like the show, please leave me a REVIEW on Apple Podcasts and/or support us on Patreon. 

Music by @SighPilot

Patreon: www.patreon.com/selectedprose

Twitter: @SelectedProse

Harris Lahti's work has appeared in Bomb, Sleepingfish, Epiphany, New York Tyrant, Hobart, and elsewhere. He edits fiction for Post Road and Fence, and paints houses for a living in New York's Hudson Valley. Recently, he finished his first novel, The Foreclosure Gothics. Read more: harrislahti.com.

Today's guest is Marcus Pactor. His new book is Begat Who Begat Who Begat, from Astrophil Press. His first book, Vs. Death Noises, won the 2011 Subito Press Prize for Fiction. His story, “Megaberry Crunch” was selected for Best Small Fictions 2021. His work has most recently appeared in 3:AM Magazine, Juked, and Harsh. He lives and works in Jacksonville, Florida.

Follow Marcus on twitter - @MarcusPactor 

*If you enjoy the show, please follow the podcast on twitter @SelectedProse, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and support us on Patreon*

Today’s guest is the great Gary Shteyngart! He’s the author of Super Sad True Love Story, Lake Success, Absurdistan, and more. His latest novel, Our Country Friends, was released earlier this month. It’s a hilarious, clever novel set in the pandemic, described by Kirkus reviews as "The Great American Pandemic Novel only Shteyngart could write." Go read it immediately!

It’s an honor for me personally to have Gary on the podcast. I admire him as a writer and as a teacher of craft. He was kind enough to provide many invaluable lessons in this episode. I hope you enjoy.

I also want to mention that on December 16, I will be hosting an in-person reading at KGB bar in New York. Message me for details.

Finally, if you like the show, please support me on Patreon and/or leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Photo by Brigitte Lacombe

Music by @SighPilot

Troy James Weaver is today's guest!

Troy is the author of Witchita Stories, Temporal, Marigold, Visions, and Selected Stories. His work has appeared in NY Tyrant, Hobart, The Southwest Review, and many others. He lives in Wichita, Kansas with his wife and dogs. We discuss absurdism, humor, Beckett, first person narrative, working and writing, workshopping, Sam Pink, and more. 

Enjoy!

Do It Like This was written and recorded by Dalton Monk. The story originally appeared in New York Tyrant. 

Dalton's other stories have appeared in New York Tyrant, Hobart, and Joyland. He lives in West Virginia.