Author Donald Antrim discusses his short story 'An Actor Prepares' with guest Andrew O'Hagan. They explore themes of transgression, danger, dysfunctional relationships, and the balance between control and lack of control in storytelling. They also analyze the choice of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' as the backdrop and reflect on the importance of breaking traditional story parameters.

Donald Antrim joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “The Balloon,” by Donald Barthelme, which was published in The New Yorker in 1966. Antrim is the author of three novels and the story collection “The Emerald Light in the Air.” His memoir, “One Friday in April: A Story of Suicide and Survival,” will be published this month. “The Balloon” (c) 1966, by Donald Barthelme, performed with permission of the Wylie Agency, LLC. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices