The New Yorker: Fiction

T. C. Boyle reads two short stories by Donald Barthelme: “Game” and “The School.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Paul Theroux reads "The Letter Writers," by Elizabeth Taylor, which appeared in The New Yorker in 1958. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jonathan Safran Foer reads Amos Oz's "The King of Norway," which first appeared in The New Yorker in 2011. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this month's fiction podcast, Louise Erdrich reads "Mastiff," by Joyce Carol Oates, which appeared in the magazine in 2013. Erdrich's latest book, "The Round House," won the National Book Award in 2012. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this month's fiction podcast, Jonathan Lethem reads "The Rescue," by V. S. Pritchett, which was first published in The New Yorker in 1973 and can be found in Pritchett's "Complete Collected Stories." (Lethem's most recent fiction in the magazine, "The Gray Goose," was excerpted from his new novel, "Dissident Gardens.") In his discussion with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman, Lethem says that Pritchett is a "total sorcerer," a writer who lets readers into a world that seems stable and then "pulls the rug out from under" them, changing where the story is going and what they think of the characters. "The Rescue," which is narrated by a sixteen-year-old girl whose mother brings home an awkward boy named Ellis to help her plan the town's annual pageant, is, according to Lethem, a perfect model for the way Pritchett tends to "overturn expectations." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Rick Bass reads "Ice," by Thomas McGuane. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Donald Antrim reads "Work," by Denis Johnson. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Gary Shteyngart reads "Paper Losses," by Lorrie Moore. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Robert Coover reads "The Daughters of the Moon," by Italo Calvino. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Richard Ford reads "The State of Grace," by Harold Brodkey. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Margaret Atwood reads "Voices Lost in Snow," by Mavis Gallant. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Edwidge Danticat reads "Girl" and "Wingless," by Jamaica Kincaid. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Francisco Goldman reads "Clara," by Roberto Bolano. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Tony Earley reads "Love," by William Maxwell. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Hisham Matar reads "Shakespeare's Memory," by Jorge Luis Borges. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

David Sedaris reads "Roy Spivey," by Miranda July. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sherman Alexie reads "The Lesson," by Jessamyn West. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In this month's fiction podcast, Tessa Hadley reads "City Lovers," a story by the South African writer and 1991 Nobel Prize winner Nadine Gordimer. The story, which was published in The New Yorker in 1975, focusses on a love affair between a white man and a "colored" woman in Apartheid South Africa. It's deeply political in its details--the man is a geologist at a mining company, the couple's affair is illegal, and they cover it up by pretending that she is his servant. But Gordimer writes with a focussed intimacy that makes the piece a tragic love story rather than a political morality tale. "One of the things I think she can teach us," says Hadley, "is how to write politically without becoming shrill." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Maile Meloy reads Laurie Colwin's "Mr. Parker" and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "Mr. Parker" was published in the April 14, 1973, issue of The New Yorker and can be found in "Passion and Affect." Maile Meloy's novels include "Liars and Saints" and "A Family Daughter." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

James Salter reads Reynolds Price's "His Final Mother" and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "His Final Mother" was published in the May 21, 1990, issue of The New Yorker and can be found in "Reynolds Price: The Collected Stories." James Salter's novels include "The Hunters" and "Light Years." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Dave Eggers reads Roddy Doyle's "Bullfighting," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "Bullfighting" was published in the April 28, 2008, issue of The New Yorker and can be found in "Bullfighting: Stories." Dave Eggers's new novel, "A Hologram for the King," comes out this month. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Matthew Klam reads Charles D'Ambrosio's "The Point" and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "The Point" was published in the October 1, 1990, issue of The New Yorker and was the title story of D'Ambrosio's first collection. Matthew Klam's most recent book of stories is "Sam the Cat." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Colm Toibin reads Sylvia Townsend Warner's "The Children's Grandmother," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "The Children's Grandmother" was published in the November 25, 1950, issue of The New Yorker and can be found in "Winter in the Air and Other Stories." Colm Toibin's most recent collection of stories is "The Empty Family." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Nicole Krauss reads Bruno Schulz's "Father's Last Escape," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "Father's Last Escape" was published in the January 2, 1978, issue of The New Yorker and can be found in "The Street of Crocodiles and Other Stories"; David Grossman wrote about Schulz in the June 8, 2009, issue. Nicole Krauss's most recent book, "Great House," was excerpted in the the magazine's 20 Under 40 issue. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Thomas Beller reads Niccolo Tucci's "The Evolution of Knowledge," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "The Evolution of Knowledge" was published in the April 12, 1947, issue of The New Yorker and can be found in "The Rain Came Last & Other Stories." Thomas Beller is the author of "How to Be a Man: Scenes from a Protracted Boyhood." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Tea Obreht reads Stephanie Vaughn's "Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog" was published in the June 5, 1978, issue of The New Yorker and can be found in "Sweet Talk," which will be reissued in 2012. Tea Obreht is the author of the novel "The Tiger's Wife." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Said Sayrafiezadeh reads Thomas Beller's "A Different Kind of Imperfection," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "A Different Kind of Imperfection" was published in the February 11, 1991, issue of The New Yorker and can be found in "Seduction Theory." Said Sayrafiezadeh is the author of the memoir "When Skateboards Will Be Free." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Colum McCann reads Benedict Kiely's "Bluebell Meadow," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "Bluebell Meadow" was published in the April 14, 1975, issue of The New Yorker and can be found in "The Collected Stories of Benedict Kiely." Colum McCann's most recent book is "Let the Great World Spin." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Ben Marcus reads Kazuo Ishiguro's "A Village After Dark," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "A Village After Dark" was published in the May 21, 2001, issue of The New Yorker. Ben Marcus's upcoming book, "The Flame Alphabet," will be published in 2012. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Salman Rushdie reads Donald Barthelme's "Concerning the Bodyguard," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "Concerning the Bodyguard" was published in the October 16, 1978, issue of The New Yorker, and was collected in "Forty Stories." Salman Rushdie's most recent book is "Luka and the Fire of Life." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

ZZ Packer reads Stuart Dybek's "Paper Lantern," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "Paper Lantern" was published in the November 27, 1995, issue of The New Yorker, and was reprinted in "The Best American Short Stories 1996." ZZ Packer is the author of the short-story collection "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Lauren Groff reads Alice Munro's "Axis," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "Axis" was published in the January 31, 2011, issue of The New Yorker. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Allegra Goodman reads John Updike's "A & P," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "A & P" was published in the July 22, 1961, issue of The New Yorker and is collected in "The Early Stories: 1953-1975." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sam Lipsyte reads Thomas McGuane's "Cowboy," and discusses it with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. "Cowboy" was published in the September 19, 2005, issue of The New Yorker and is collected in "Gallatin Canyon." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Daniel Alarcon reads Roberto Bolano's "Gomez Palacio." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Anne Enright reads John Cheever's "The Swimmer." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Hilton Als reads James McCourt's "Kaye Wayfaring in 'Avenged'" Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Cynthia Ozick reads Steven Millhauser's "In the Reign of Harad IV." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jennifer Egan reads Lore Segal's "The Reverse Bug." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

David Means reads Raymond Carver's "Chef's House." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie reads Jamaica Kincaid's "Figures in the Distance." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Chris Adrian reads Donald Barthelme's "The Indian Uprising." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Salvatore Scibona reads Denis Johnson's "Two Men." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Rivka Galchen reads Leonard Michaels's "Cryptology." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Monica Ali reads Joshua Ferris's "The Dinner Party." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Chang-Rae Lee reads Don DeLillo's "Baader-Meinhof." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Lorrie Moore reads Julie Hayden's "Day-Old Baby Rats." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Julian Barnes reads Frank O'Connor's "The Man of the World." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Karen Russell reads Carson McCullers's "The Jockey." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Junot Diaz reads Edwidge Danticat's "Water Child." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices