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 TC Boyle's story, Chicksaloo, which was published in the New Yorker in 2004.

The meteor, which was an estimated 60 yards across, never actually touched down.

The force of its entry, the compression and superheating of the air beneath it,

caused it to explode some 25,000 feet above the ground.

But then the term explode hardly does justice to the event.

The story was chosen by Lionel Schreiber, who is the author of 12 novels,

including We Need to Talk About Kevin, which won the orange prize for fiction in 2005.

Hi Lionel.

Hi.

Are you told me when we were talking about doing this that you were a huge fan of TC Boyle's work?

You've reviewed several of his books.

When did you first become aware of his writing?

I think the first book of his I Read was The Tortilla Curtain, if I'm remembering correctly.

That was about 1999.

And I was struck by it, not only is it a compelling book,

but it's a rare novel about immigration that I think does justice to the topic.

That is both sides of the debate.

I think he's a great technical writer.

But the emphasis is always on content.

...