The New Yorker: Fiction

Lucinda Rosenfeld, author of five novels, joins Deborah Treisman to discuss 'Returns' by Annie Ernaux. They explore the difference between auto-fiction and memoir, the mother-daughter relationship portrayed in the story, and the themes of returning and loneliness. The chapter also highlights Annie Ernaux's ability to capture ethnological details.

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.

David Means joins Deborah Treisman to discuss “Face Time,” by Lorrie Moore, which was published in The New Yorker in 2020. Means is the author of a novel and six story collections, including “Instructions for a Funeral” and “Two Nurses, Smoking,” which came out in 2022. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

George Saunders joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “So Late in the Day,” by Claire Keegan, which was published in The New Yorker in 2022. Saunders is the author of the novel “Lincoln in the Bardo,” and five story collections, including “Tenth of December” and “Liberation Day,” which came out last year. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Ottessa Moshfegh joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “Two Ruminations on a Homeless Brother,” by David Means, which was published in The New Yorker in 2017. Moshfegh is the author of four novels, including “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” and “Lapvona.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jonas Hassen Khemiri joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “A Slice of Life,” by Vladimir Nabokov, translated from the Russian text of 1925, by Dmitri Nabokov, in collaboration with the author, which was published in The New Yorker in 1976. Khemiri is a Swedish fiction writer and playwright whose novels include “The Family Clause” and “Everything I Don’t Remember.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Saïd Sayrafiezadeh joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “Ill Seen Ill Said,” by Samuel Beckett, which was published in The New Yorker in 1981. Sayrafiezadeh is the author of a memoir and two story collections, the most recent of which, “American Estrangement,” was published in 2021. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

We’re pleased to announce that “In The Dark,” the acclaimed investigative podcast from American Public Media, is joining The New Yorker and Condé Nast Entertainment. In its first two seasons, “In The Dark,” hosted by the reporter Madeleine Baran, has taken a close look at the criminal-justice system in America. The first season examined the abduction and murder, in 1989, of eleven-year-old Jacob Wetterling, and exposed devastating failures on the part of law enforcement. The second season focussed on Curtis Flowers, a Black man from Winona, Mississippi, who was tried six times for the same crime. When the show’s reporters began looking into the case, Flowers was on death row. After their reporting, the Supreme Court reversed Flowers’s conviction. Today, he is a free man.  A third season of “In The Dark,” which will be the show’s most ambitious one yet, is on its way. David Remnick recently sat down with Baran and the show’s managing producer, Samara Freemark, to talk about the remarkable first two seasons of the show, and what to expect in the future. To listen to the entirety of the “In The Dark” catalogue, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Claire-Louise Bennett joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “Family Walls,” by Maeve Brennan, which was published in The New Yorker in 1973. Bennett has published two books of fiction, “Pond” and “Checkout 19.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Clare Sestanovich joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “The Moons of Jupiter” by Alice Munro, which was published in The New Yorker in 1978. Sestanovich’s story collection, “Objects of Desire,” was published in 2021. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices