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The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

T. Coraghessan Boyle Reads “The Shape of a Teardrop”

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

Fiction, Authors, Arts, New, Newyorker, Yorker

4.52.1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 March 2021

⏱️ 37 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

T.Coraghessan Boyle reads his story from the March 15, 2021, issue of the magazine. Boyle is the author of more than two dozen books of fiction, including “The Terranauts” and “Outside Looking In.” A new book, “Talk to Me,” will be published in September.

Transcript

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0:00.0

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

0:09.6

I'm Debra Triesman, fiction editor at The New Yorker.

0:13.0

On this episode of The Writer's Voice, we'll hear T. Carragason Boyle read his story,

0:17.6

The Shape of a Teardrop, from the March 15th, 2021 issue of the magazine.

0:23.7

Boyle is the author of more than two dozen books of fiction, including the novels of the

0:27.6

Taranauts and outside looking in.

0:30.5

A new novel, Talk to Me, will be published in September.

0:34.4

Now here's T. Carragason Boyle.

0:42.3

The Shape of a Teardrop, police dogs and fire hoses.

0:48.3

I'm not going anywhere.

0:51.2

Thank you again with police dogs and fire hoses and I'll cling to the woodwork till I'm

0:55.1

stripped to the bone.

0:57.2

They like that, wouldn't they?

0:58.5

They're one and only child that never has to be born in the first place, reduced to an

1:02.2

artifact in his own room in the only home he's ever known.

1:06.2

A memento mori, a musculoskeletal structure without the musculoskeletal.

1:11.4

Shouting matches?

1:12.4

If they want shouting matches, well, I'm more than equal to the task.

1:16.1

They're old and weak and ridiculous and they know it.

1:18.8

With their stained teeth and droopy necks and faces like masks cut out of sheets of

1:22.9

sandpaper, with two holes poked for their glittery, hypercritical eyes to blaze through.

1:28.0

Put what a fool I am.

...

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