Selected Shorts

In the first of two programs created with the podcast Death, Sex, and Money and host Anna Sale, we explore issues of identity and connection. In “Sacrament of Confession,” by Ernie Wang, a man struggles with a messy past that is affecting the present. The reader is Richard Kind. And in a touching do-over, a man meets his wife for the first time—again. Amy Ryan reads Seth Fried’s “You Again.”

Transcribed - Published: 28 May 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents four stories, recorded at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, in which characters shape their expectations and dreams to a manageable size. So if you’re “Medusa,” as in our first story, by Tania James, you try to figure out how to live in the world instead of turning it to stone. The reader is Constance Zimmer. Parents in our second story, “We Only Wanted Their Happiness,” by Alexander Weinstein, make a tactical choice about technology. It’s performed by Randall Park. The narrator of Honor Levy’s “Good Boys,” read by Annie Hamilton, understands that infatuation is a phase. And a man and a woman sidestep romance in “Arrangements” by Charlie Watts, performed by Laura Harrier and Will Harrison. The program was created in cooperation with Belletrist, an online book club created by Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss.

Transcribed - Published: 21 May 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents the Wayfinder podcast. It’s a podcast about travel journeys that transform us, told through immersive stories of places, people, and moments that stay with you even once you are back home. Give it a listen, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Transcribed - Published: 21 May 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three stories about social occasions for introverts and extroverts alike, curated with the Belletrist Book Club, founded by actor Emma Roberts and producer Karah Preiss, and recorded at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. Humorist Samantha Irby asks “Please Invite Me to Your Party,” but we’re not sure she means it. The reader is Richa Moorjani. Victoria Lancelotta’s “The Anniversary Trip,” performed by Judy Greer, is, and is not, about the married couple making the trip. And Jen Spyra takes to extremes what it takes to get to the altar in perfect shape in “The Bridal Body,” performed by Erinn Hayes.

Transcribed - Published: 14 May 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents the Wayfinder podcast. It’s a podcast about travel journeys that transform us, told through immersive stories of places, people, and moments that stay with you even once you are back home. Give it a listen, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Transcribed - Published: 14 May 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about characters who find themselves in a place in which they need to make a choice, something that will affect them for the rest of their lives. In Ursula K. Le Guin’s classic, “Direction of the Road,” an ancient being has to make hard choices in its role as a guardian and a force of nature. The reader is Nikki M. James. In Helen Schulman’s “The Shabbos Goy,” a divorcee and a rabbi develop an interesting relationship around their mutual love of poetry. The reader is Jessica Hecht.

Transcribed - Published: 7 May 2026

The author of novels such as Motherless Brooklyn and The Fortress of Solitude brings us a story about meeting your heroes. It's read by the actor Brendan Hunt, best known these days for the series Ted Lasso.

Transcribed - Published: 4 May 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents four works in which nature and the out-of-doors drive both plots and character. Humorist Jenny Allen does battle with her stubborn plants in “Garden Growing Pains,” read by Kirsten Vangsness. The majestic Canadian border separates an Indigenous family in Thomas King’s “Borders,” read by Kimberly Guerrero. A housewife masters one of the elements in “Flying,” by Alyce Miller. The reader is Kirsten Vansgness again. And a sudden storm creates a sense of abandon in the Kate Chopin classic “The Storm,” read by Jane Curtin. “Garden Growing Pains,” “Borders,” and “Flying,” were presented in cooperation with CacheArts and Utah Public Radio, KUSU-FM.

Transcribed - Published: 30 April 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer celebrates Jane Austen’s 250th with works by, and inspired by, the enduring romance novelist. Ann Harada performs an early Austen piece, “Edgar and Emma;” Sophie Carmen-Jones reads a letter from Austen to a mentor, James Stanier Clarke. Then things get playful in the T.C. Boyle parody “I Dated Jane Austen,” performed by Wyatt Cenac. And Hugh Dancy reads from an Austen classic, “Persuasion.”

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2026

Meg Wolitzer speaks to Jodi Kantor, the prize-winning investigative reporter for The New York Times, as part of the spin-off series, where we bring together all kinds of stories and storytelling.

Transcribed - Published: 20 April 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works with unusual family dynamics. In Zadie Smith’s “Grand Union,” the mother-daughter bond transcends death and brings with it a whole family history. The reader is Kaneza Schaal. And Richard Bausch’s “What Feels Like the World,” read by James Naughton, explores the bond between a grandparent and a grandchild.

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three works about scaling the outsized real world down to manageable proportions. A couple brings the Papal seat home in Ben Loory’s “The Vatican,” read by Santino Fontana; In “I Love Betty,” by Kaitlyn Greenidge, communication problems invite interesting solutions, in a story read by Nathan Hinton. And in Shirley Jackson’s “The Beautiful Stranger” a wife and mother wonders if she’s in the right life, but tries to fit into it. It’s read by Maggie Siff.

Transcribed - Published: 9 April 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three works that crossed the boundaries between fiction and film for our collaboration with this prestigious New York film Festival. An eerie game has unexpected consequences in Richard Matheson’s “Button, Button,” performed by Marin Ireland. Michael Stuhlbarg gives a rousing performance of Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky;” and Andrea Martin reads the story that inspired the Hollywood classic All About Eve—Mary Orr’s “The Wisdom of Eve.”

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories from the volume Best American Short Stories 2025, selected by guest editor Celeste Ng. In “An Early Departure,” by Jessica Treadway, a family relationship is altered in a moment at the train station. The reader is Cynthia Nixon. In “Third Room,” by Julian Robles, an apartment, and its mysterious tenant, take on lives of their own. The reader is Ivan Hernandez.

Transcribed - Published: 26 March 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two humorous stories about marriages not made in heaven. In James Thurber’s classic “The Breaking Up of the Winships,” a long-married couple fall out over Donald Duck. The reader is Kristine Nielsen. And in Louise Erdrich’s “The Big Cat,” read by Keir Dullea, two powerful wives, a bemused husband, and a symphony of bone-jarring snores. The program also features an interview with Erdrich.

Transcribed - Published: 19 March 2026

In this bonus feature, host Meg Wolitzer talks with author Louise Edrich about “The Big Cat,” her craft, and her Native American roots.

Transcribed - Published: 19 March 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories with unlikely scenarios, rare events that have, at least fictionally, come to pass. Naomi Kritzer uses the idea of “The Little Free Library”—one of those impromptu structures that facilitate the swapping of books—to imagine an exchange of quite a different sort. The reader is Melora Hardin. And Ling Ma imagines how winning the lottery—292.2 million to one—actually plays out. “Winner” is read by Cindy Cheung.

Transcribed - Published: 12 March 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three stories in which reality contrasts with the dreams, perceptions, and actions of the characters. In “The Leap,” by Louise Erdrich, a mother’s unusual skill set changes the outcome of events. The reader is Elizabeth Reaser. In “Death and the Lady,” by Ben Loory, even the Grim Reaper harbors illusions. And his parents’ damaged marriage haunts an adult child in Delmore Schwartz’s “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities.” Both the Loory and the Schwartz are read by multi-talented actor Denis O’Hare, and Wolitzer talks to him about his craft.

Transcribed - Published: 5 March 2026

In this bonus feature, host Meg Wolitzer talks with actor Denis O’Hare about his craft, and his approaches to readings of the two very different stories on this program.

Transcribed - Published: 5 March 2026

Actor Josh Radnor performs Paul La Farge's story, "Another Life."

Transcribed - Published: 2 March 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories by the extraordinary Japanese writer Haruki Murakami that demonstrate the breadth of his emotional imagination over a career of 35 years. In an early story, “The Window,” a professional letter-writer recalls an intimate encounter with a woman, and a hamburger steak. The reader is Mike Doyle. In the later story, “Kahu,” read by Jennifer Ikeda, a woman goes on a blind date, only to be blindsided. Both stories were recorded at the Japan Society in New York City, as part of an ongoing collaboration with Selected Shorts.

Transcribed - Published: 26 February 2026

This week on SELECTED SHORTS, guest host DeRay Mckesson presents four works that consider the Black experience in America from bold perspectives. Former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm recalled her historic victory in her essay “Unbought and Unbossed.” An excerpt is read by Crystal Dickinson. James Baldwin’s powerful letter to his nephew, “My Dungeon Shook,” is read by Christopher Jackson. Poet Sonia Sanchez recalls a life-altering encounter with Malcolm X in “Homegirls on St. Nicholas Avenue,” read by Marsha Stephanie Blake, and Percival Everett turns the tables on Southern racists in “The Appropriation of Cultures,” read by Wren T. Brown.

Transcribed - Published: 19 February 2026

This week on SELECTED SHORTS, host Meg Wolitzer presents three stories about problems without solutions. In Elif Batuman’s “The Board,” read by Cindy Cheung, the protagonist has found the perfect apartment, but he has to satisfy a Kafka-esque co-op committee. Jesse Eisenberg imagines an irritating sibling with problems of global proportions in ““My Little Sister Texts Me with Her Problems,” read by real-life sisters Lacey Lamar and Amber Ruffin. And a patient is drawn to her therapist—but is this a bad thing? in Esther Freud’s “Transference,” read by Claire Danes.

Transcribed - Published: 12 February 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories that demonstrate the ways in which characters—like all of us—can play many different roles in one another's lives, and in the world around us. Cherline Bazile’s “Tender,” which guest editor Min Jin Lee included in Best American Short Stories 2023, reflects the contradictory nature of friendship. It’s read by Anna Uzele. And our second story, Grace Paley’s “The Contest,” reflects the contradictory nature of courtship, as the bewildered narrator is alternatively flattered and bullied by a girl with way more on the ball than he has. He tells us so himself, in the voice of actor Justin Bartha.

Transcribed - Published: 5 February 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about therapy—the benefits and perils of sharing your troubles with a stranger. In “Therapy,” by J. Robert Lennon, the patient follows a recursive loop of doubt about the whole process. The reader is Troy Iwata. In “Fable,” by Charles Yu, the issues that arise in therapy sessions morph into a revealing personal fairy tale. The reader is BD Wong. With comments by comedian Gary Gulman, who hosted the live show where these stories were presented.

Transcribed - Published: 29 January 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three stories about characters who try an end run around trouble, sometimes doing more harm than good. In Joe Meno’s “Animal Hospital” a well-meaning father is surprised by his kids response to “let’s play doctor.” The reader is Becky Anne Baker, and an interview with Meno is featured in the show. In “The Silk Handkerchief,” by Sait Faik Abasiyanik, a thief and a night watchman have a moment of rapport. It’s read by Amir Arison. And Margaret Atwood’s recurring couple Tig and Nell try to stave off the inevitable by taking a “First Aid” class. The reader is Maggie Siff.

Transcribed - Published: 22 January 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about sudden interventions that change lives. In Stephen King’s “The Fifth Step” a beguiling stranger asks for help. The reader is David Morse. In “Blessed Deliverance,” by Jamel Brinkley, a neighborhood oddball may be its salvation. The reader is Teagle F. Bougere.

Transcribed - Published: 15 January 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer helps a great documentarian celebrate a great American author. Cather is the of author of novels like My Antonia and O Pioneers! And Ken Burns hosted a live evening of her shorter works to celebrate her sesquicentennial—her 150th birthday, in 2023. On this program, we feature “The Way of the World,” in which an imaginary town’s young “citizens” are rife with romance and rivalry. The reader is Sonia Manzano. And a weary farmer’s wife recaptures her long-dormant passion for music at “A Wagner Matinee,” read by David Strathairn.

Transcribed - Published: 8 January 2026

Cynthia Nixon reads Carmen Maria Machado's short story, "Persephone Rides at the End of Days."

Transcribed - Published: 5 January 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents the Explain Like I'm 5 podcast, a show that takes the questions you always wanted to ask and talks about them in a way that is easy to understand. Some times we want simple answers to complex questions! We here at Selected Shorts have become big fans and hope you enjoy it too!

Transcribed - Published: 5 January 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about characters wrestling with their roles in life. In “The Ugly Sister,” by Joanne Harris, a fairy-tale villainess tells her side of the story. The reader is Jayne Atkinson. And a young wife struggles to find her place in a close-knit family in “Underwater,” by Hannah Kingsley-Ma, read by Marin Ireland.

Transcribed - Published: 1 January 2026

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three stories about finding solutions to complex problems, and to simple ones. T. C. Boyle tackles evolution and government intervention in “Top of the Food Chain,” read by Zach Grenier. In Matthew Ryan Frankel’s “Carapace,” a young boy struggles with feelings at a family funeral—with the help of some crabs. The reader is Philip Estrera. And a young woman traveling between two worlds and two families has to deal with what to put in “The Suitcase” by Meron Hadero. The reader is Renée Elise Goldsberry. The show also includes an interview with Hadero.

Transcribed - Published: 25 December 2025

Meg Wolitzer presents three unexpected stories that let us see the holidays’ associations—family, friends, food, gifts, and goodwill—in different ways. Amy Krouse Rosenthal presents a playful encounter with the Almighty in “Interview with God,” performed by Jayne Atkinson and James Naughton. In Sherrie Flick’s “Heidi is Dead,” read by Adina Verson, a second wife tries to tune in with her in-laws. And John Cheever’s “Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor” is a richly comic and warmhearted look at giving and receiving. Teagle F. Bougere reads.

Transcribed - Published: 18 December 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents the Explain Like I'm 5 podcast, a show that takes the questions you always wanted to ask and talks about them in a way that is easy to understand. Some times we want simple answers to complex questions! We here at Selected Shorts have become big fans and hope you enjoy it too!

Transcribed - Published: 18 December 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two provocative stories that address the idea of communing with something “other”. In Etgar Keret’s “Polar Bear” an AI program, and a lonely widow, commune. The reader is Michael Imperioli. And Mom is close by—and full of unwanted advice—in “The Acorn” by Elizabeth Stix, performed by Dylan Baker.

Transcribed - Published: 11 December 2025

Israeli writer Etgar Keret talks to his friend, This American Life host Ira Glass.

Transcribed - Published: 11 December 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three stories about people inserting themselves into the lives of others—in their own best interests. In Simon Rich’s “Relapse,” friends rally ’round when one of their numbers heeds the call of the muse. It’s read by Ophira Eisenberg. In Langston Hughes’ “Thank You, M’am,” read by Pauletta Washington, a fierce old lady sets a young man straight. And a young woman finds an ingenious way to cheer up retirees—and herself—in Miranda July’s “The Swim Team,” read by Parker Posey.

Transcribed - Published: 4 December 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents the Explain Like I'm 5 podcast, a show that takes the questions you always wanted to ask and talks about them in a way that is easy to understand. Some times we want simple answers to complex questions! We here at Selected Shorts have become big fans and hope you enjoy it too!

Transcribed - Published: 4 December 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three fictional disappearing acts. In “We Have Your Son,” by Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, a kidnapping goes wrong. This darkly humorous piece recalls O’Henry’s “The Ransom of Red Chief” and is performed by Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker. In “Where’s Dad?” by Claire Fridkin, performed by Emily Skeggs, the hunt for Waldo gets personal. And Anita Felicelli creates a mysterious lodger and an atmosphere of Hitchcockian dread in “A Minor Disturbance,” performed by Jill Eikenberry.

Transcribed - Published: 27 November 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents stories about characters coping with pre-existing difficulties, large and small—and then encountering someone or something ready to change everything. In “Shoulder-Top Secretary” by Shinichi Hoshi, performed by Thom Sesma, a door-to-door salesman unveils the must-have technology of the future. In “It Had Wings” by Allan Gurganus, performed by Marian Seldes, a celestial being offers up a possible remedy for the aches and pains of life. And our final story, “The Toynbee Convector,” is a Ray Bradbury classic in which a time machine delivers a hero to our tumultuous present. It’s read by Mike Doyle, with whom we also spoke backstage on the night of his performance.

Transcribed - Published: 20 November 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three imaginative and funny reworkings of classic stories. In Ginny Hogan’s “Phantoms and Prejudice,” Jane Austen’s Bennet sisters learn about ghosting. The reader is Sara Bareilles. Anthony Marra invents a plausible reason for murder in his reworking of Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” read by Mike Doyle. And Michael Cunningham turns Jack into an entrepreneur in “Jacked,” read by Jim Parsons.

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2025

The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Hours sits down with Meg for a chat about all things writing.

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about the nature of time and how it shapes our lives. In Helen Phillips’ “The Knowers,” a woman chooses to learn a vital fact about her future, while her husband does not. Stockard Channing reads this thought-provoking fantasy. In Anita Felicelli’s “Time Invents Us” a chance encounter turns the clock back for an aging artist. It’s read by Kirsten Vangsness.

Transcribed - Published: 6 November 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories in which characters are faced with unexpected revelations that alter their lives. In “A Fable with Slips of White Paper Spilling from the Pockets,” by Kevin Brockmeier, performed by Geoffrey Arend, a thrift purchase comes with unusual fringe benefits. In “Lady Tigers,” by Nick White, performed by Michael Urie, the bus driver of a girls’ softball team encounters a storm, and a secret.

Transcribed - Published: 30 October 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three stories about self-deception. In “Participation Trophy,” by Simon Rich, the author is taken to task by a discarded relic of childhood triumphs. The reader is Colton Dunn. Japanese playwright and novelist Betsuyaku Minoru creates an Industrial Age fable in “Factory Town.” The story was translated by Royall Tyler and is read by Suzy Nakamura. And a college student falls in love with the idea of love in Lauren Pruneski’s “Mama, Mama,” read by Kirsten Vangsness.

Transcribed - Published: 23 October 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents Curiosity Weekly, a podcast from Discovery that helps makes sense of some of the biggest questions and ideas shaping our world. The show breaks down science and technology in a way that connects to our everyday lives. We hope you check it out too!

Transcribed - Published: 23 October 2025

On this SELECTED SHORTS, host Meg Wolitzer presents three stories that cross generations. In Justin Torres’ “Trash Kites,” performed by Coleman Domingo, teens find beauty in scarcity. A daughter’s aging parent links her past and present in “The World with My Mother Still in It,” by Kathryn Chetkovich, performed by Phillipa Soo. And a tutor tries to create a bond with her privileged student in “Ancient Rome,” by Kyle McCarthy, performed by Tavi Gevinson.

Transcribed - Published: 16 October 2025

Host Meg Wolitzer presents Curiosity Weekly, a podcast from Discovery that helps makes sense of some of the biggest questions and ideas shaping our world. The show breaks down science and technology in a way that connects to our everyday lives. We hope you check it out too!

Transcribed - Published: 16 October 2025

Bonnie Milligan reads author Pam Houston's short story about the blurred lines between a boyfriend and a dog.

Transcribed - Published: 13 October 2025

Meg Wolitzer presents three stories about our relationship with man’s best friend, from an evening of dog stories hosted by Saturday Night Live alum Ana Gasteyer. Emma Brewer’s “Think You Deserve Companionship? Apply to Adopt a Dog Today,” pokes fun at the bureaucratic hurdles involved in getting a new friend. It’s performed by Gasteyer. Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum offers a up a tale of romance, transformation and machinations, in “The Glass Dog,” performed by Jeremy Shamos. And David Means’ “Clementine, Carmelita, Dog,” tells the tale of one dog with two names—and two families. It’s performed by Javier Munoz.

Transcribed - Published: 9 October 2025