Selected Shorts

Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about persuasive, but not always trustworthy, characters.  In “Fortune-Telling,” by Alix Ohlin, an actor tries on new role, with unexpected consequences.  The reader is Crystal Dickinson.  And from an evening of contemporary Irish fiction, the great Jessica Lange, in her Selected Shorts debut, reads Andrew Meehan’s “Summer in the Mountains,” where a man who calls himself "Utopia Frank" finds just how far grand visions can carry him.

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Host Meg Wolitzer presents the podcast Before The Moment, hosted by music icon Nile Rodger. Nile sits down with some of music’s biggest names to uncover the turning points that defined them, and, importantly, what was happening before everything changed. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about unexpected guests.  In Carlos Greaves’ “A Visit from the Tune Squad,” a procrastinating writer gets a surprise intervention, in performances by Santino Fontana, Dylan Marron, and Sarah Mezzanotte.  In our second story, Willa Cather delivers a moving tale of sin and redemption.  Patricia Clarkson reads “The Burglar’s Christmas.”

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Meg Wolitzer presents three stories that explore good intentions and how they can go wrong.  In “Mantis,” by Gina Chung, a deadly insect tries to mend her ways. The reader is Monica Raymund.  Dino Buzzati’s “The Jacket,” translated from the Italian by Lawrence Venuti, features a garment that just keeps on giving—but at what cost?  The reader is Justin Kirk.  And two outsiders connect at a party in Caitlin Horrocks’ “23 Months,” read by Liza Weil.

 

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Meg Wolitzer presents three stories in that explore the idea of “fitting in,” and whether it’s worth the effort.  In “Reality,” by Diana Spechler, a woman longs for the ephemeral glory of a reality show. It’s read by Kirsten Vangsness. “Long Hair,” by Uche Okonkwo, performed by Karen Pittman, explores hair as a form of power.  And “A Sacrifice,” by Simon Van Booy, performed by Joanna Gleason, tells of social dynamics and family secrets in a small Irish village. A brief interview with Van Booy is included.

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On this episode, a story about bad behavior. But it's also about family and the limits of forgiveness. While this story wasn't written that long ago, due to technological advancements, it feels like a piece of the past. Just 10, even 5 years ago, you had to know a character they called a "bookie" to "place your bets" and, if you didn't pay up, "have your legs broken." That's the world we're about to enter. The story was written by Austin Blaze. Blaze is a writer from Northern California. His work has been listed as a distinguished story in The Best American Short Stories and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize. Our reader is Will Brill. Brill went to Broadway in the revival of Oklahoma! and in the play Stereophonic—for which he won a Tony. On TV, he's featured on series such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and in films including Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing. After the story, Blaze speaks to host Aparna Nancherla about his work. 

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On this Selected Shorts, host Meg Wolitzer invites us on a literary tour of Ireland with bestselling author Colum McCann, who hosted a live event at Symphony Space celebrating the rich heritage of Irish literature, and some gifted contemporary voices.  The program includes, “Lucy’s Boyfriend,” a sharp-witted story about contemporary dating mores by Anne Enright, read by Crystal Dickinson; a touching reflection on the loss of Ireland’s young to jobs overseas, “Fishing in the Sloe-Black River,” by McCann himself, read by Aedin Maloney; and “Toronto and the State of Grace,”  a wild social comedy by Kevin Barry that takes place at a bar at the end of the world and is read by Santino Fontana.

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Host Meg Wolitzer presents the podcast What Could Go Right, by the Progress Network. It’s a current affairs show that tries to find a more balanced way of looking at what’s happening in the world. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works that reassess and redefine our ideas of “the West.”  It’s both a landscape of awesome beauty, and the scene of cultural appropriation, and we’ve got two masters sharing and shaping our experience.  In Louise Erdrich’s “The Hollow Children” a natural disaster tests family ties.  It’s read by Tate Donovan.  And writer and environmental activist Rick Bass stress tests the West, and his main character, in “Fires,” read by John Benjamin Hickey.  We also reprise part of an interview with Louise Erdrich from earlier in the year.  In it, she mentions a new novel in progress, which has now been published: The Mighty Red: A Novel.

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Meg Wolitzer presents two stories that combine different sorts of unknowables:  unidentified—or hard to identify—flying objects, and romantic love.  In “The Duck,” by Ben Loory, a heartsick mallard has chosen a really unattainable object of affection.  The reader, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, was Sonia Manzano.  And an early Haruki Murakami story, “U.F.O. in Kushiro,” sends a jilted husband on a journey of self-discovery.  The reader, at The Japan Society, was Javier Munoz.

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