Unexpected Guests
Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about unexpected guests. In Carlos Greaves’ “A Visit from the Tune Squad,” a procrastinating writer gets a...
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Selected Shorts
Spellbinding short stories by established and emerging writers take on a new life when they are performed by stars of the stage and screen.
Episodes
20 of 63 episodesMostly Good Intentions
Meg Wolitzer presents three stories that explore good intentions and how they can go wrong. In “Mantis,” by Gina Chung, a deadly insect trie...
Fitting In
Meg Wolitzer presents three stories in that explore the idea of “fitting in,” and whether it’s worth the effort. In “Reality,” by Diana Spec...
Too Hot For Radio: Austin Blaze "Hail Mary"
Actor Will Brill reads author Austin Blaze's short story, "Hail Mary." The episode is hosted by Aparna Nancherla.
Passport to Ireland with Colum McCann
On this Selected Shorts, host Meg Wolitzer invites us on a literary tour of Ireland with bestselling author Colum McCann, who hosted a live...
The New American West
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 sc...
Love and UFOs
Meg Wolitzer presents two stories that combine different sorts of unknowables: unidentified—or hard to identify—flying objects, and romantic...
A Full Plate
Meg Wolitzer presents two favorite Selected Shorts works in which food and nourishment figure both literally and symbolically. The narrator...
Forsaking All Others
Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works about love and marriage. In Amy Silverberg’s “Have You Met Husband?” two men and a dog vie for this tit...
Tim Curry Performs "Ziggurat" by Stephen O'Connor
British actor Tim Curry died on August 26th at the age of 80. We are pleased to share, on this special bonus podcast, his deliciously chilli...
Building Worlds, with N.K. Jemisin
Host Meg Wolitzer presents three works of speculative fiction curated by best-selling author N.K. Jemisin. In John Scalzi’s “When the Yogurt...
Up in the Air with Radiolab
SELECTED SHORTS host Meg Wolitzer presents four works that were read as part of our live evening with WNYC’s Radiolab and hosts Lulu Miller...
Seeing is Believing
Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about perception and the relationship between what we see and what we believe. In “Heart of a Champio...
Romance of the Summer
Host Meg Wolitzer presents three lively stories about the allure—or not—of summer. Italian writer Massimo Bontempeli creates a magical beach...
Shifting Identities
Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works about shifting identities. In “Voices”, by German writer Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Carol Brown Jan...
Picture Perfect
Host Meg Wolitzer presents three works about idealized lives, and ideas about what constitutes an ideal life. “Boy Meets Girl” is Jen Kim’s...
Walking on Eggshells
Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works about being careful. The title says it all in George Saunders’ “Lars Farf, Excessively Fearful Father a...
Lost and Found
Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works about losing something, but finding something revealing to take its place. In “Light,” by Lesley Nkeka...
Too Hot For Radio: Erin Somers "Washing Up"
Miriam Shor (Pluribus, The Americans) reads Erin Somers' story about a mom doing not seemingly very mom-like things.
Stories from the City of Immigrants with Waterwell
In this program, created in collaboration with Waterwell and the New York Immigration Coalition, guest host Arian Moayed takes listeners thr...