This is The Writer's Voice, new fiction from The New Yorker.

I'm Deborah Treasman, fiction editor at The New Yorker.

On this episode of The Writer's Voice, we'll hear Gary Steingart read his story, The Luck of Kokura,

from the June 25th, 2018 issue of the magazine.

Steingard has published three novels, including Absurdistan and Super Sad True Love Story,

and The Memoir Little Failure.

His fourth novel, Lake Success, from which this story was adapted, comes out in September.

Now here's Gary Steingart.

The Luck of Kokura.

Barry was trying to focus, but on what?

Shapes began to materialize.

Circles, triangles, three panels and outrageously bright colors.

It was that squiggly AIDS painter guy from the 1980s.

A figure fell into his head,

something he had once discussed with Seema at a gallery.

1.8 million.

Okay, he was on a bed.

He was hungry, but at the same time beyond hunger.

He turned his head. There were magazines displayed on a bed. He was hungry, but at the same time beyond hunger. He turned his head.

There were magazines displayed on a nightstand, a Bentley mag and a Patech Philippe mag and a Nat Geo.

The rollerboard with his watches and Shiva's rabbit toy and his passport was neatly placed at the foot of the bed.

There was also a glass coffee table topped with a bottle of Fiji water, a jar of salted almonds and familiar-looking bars of 70% cocoa

...