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 a story by Dennis Johnson called Two Men.

The jolt of fear had burned all the red out of my blood.

I was like rubber. I'll go after him, then. Let's just have it out.

Two men was chosen by Salvador Scabona, whose story The Kid was featured in the New Yorker's recent 20 under 40 Fiction issue.

Scabona is the author of the novel The End, which was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2009.

And he's the winner of the Young Lions Award from the New York Public Library.

Hi, Salvador.

Hi, Debra.

So when did you first encounter Johnson's work? What impression did it make on you?

I think I first read his poems.

I was reading that collection of three of his books put together.

I was walking down a street in Iowa City where he's kind of presiding spirit.

And Demi God.

Yeah, yeah.

And as I was reading the book, and I held the book a couple of inches away from my chest as I was reading a bird defecated right on my shirt between my eyes and the book.

It's good luck.

It seemed like it was I decided it was a very positive omen, but I loved those poems just helplessly.

And then I started reading his fiction after that.

And what did you read and did you read Jesus's son or I think I read Jesus's son.

...