Pushkin.

It's hard to read the news these days without asking yourself, how did we get here?

Fiasco is a history podcast for the co-creators of Slow Burn.

In our first season, Bush v. Gore, we examine an unmistakable turning point in American politics, the 2000 election, which resulted in a high-stakes stalemate, ended with one of the most controversial rulings in Supreme Court history.

So if you're trying to make sense at the present moment, check out Fiasco, Bush v. Gore. Listen on theHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

From Pushkin Industries, this is Deep Background, the show where we usually explore the stories behind the stories in the news.

I'm Noah Feldman.

Today, though, we're doing something a little different.

We're going to talk about a story inspired by the news.

Pushkin, the podcast production company that makes deep background,

just launched a new show called The Chronicles of Now.

It's pretty cool.

Each week on this podcast, you can listen to a fictional short story inspired by real news.

The show launched with a short story by Roxanne Gay, a story I really loved.

It's about life under lockdown because of a pandemic, a lot like what's happening now, but a little more intense.

I just thought, what would it be like to live with your partner in isolation for a year?

Roxanne Gay is the author of the novel, An Untamed State.

A best-selling collection of essays called Bad Feminist and the best-selling memoir, Hunger.

She's a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times,

and she's a fascinating person who's always at the center of the cultural conversation, often leading it.

I wanted to talk to her about her new short story, her work in many different genres, and what we can learn when we turn news into fiction.

Roxanne, thank you so much for being here.

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