This is the New Yorker Fiction Podcast from the New Yorker magazine.

I'm Debra Treesman, Fiction Editor at the New Yorker.

Each month, we invite a writer to choose a story from the magazine's archives to read and discuss.

This month, we're going to hear John Chievers' story, The Swimmer.

Neddy remembered the sapphire water at the bunkers with longing

and thought that he might contaminate himself,

damage his own prosperousness and charm by swimming in this murk.

The story was chosen by Anne N. Wright,

whose stories have been appearing in the New Yorker for more than 10 years.

Her novel, The Gathering, won the 2007 Man Booker Prize.

Hi Anne.

Hi Debra.

So you were born, you've lived most of your life in Ireland,

and I'm sure you were too young when this story was first published,

but were you reading American writers like Chiever in your formative years?

Well, I was reared on the R-Short Story, which is a wonderful tradition,

but then when I was in my teenage years,

none of the R-Short stories that any sex and that was something I was looking for information on,

much of my reading was guided by the need to find out what exactly happened

and these information that wasn't available anywhere else.

But anyway, the American short story not only provided some information,

but it was like a total breath of fresh air,

...