Sheila Heti, author of seven books, reads her story 'According to Alice' written in collaboration with a customizable chatbot. Topics include creating a world through words, encountering Jesus, hybridity and family turmoil, traditions of praying for departed loved ones, and collaborative storytelling.

Author Clare Sestanovich reads her story “Our Time Is Up.” The story explores themes of satisfaction, happiness, and desires. It also delves into intimate moments, disappointment, and reflections on aging and adulthood.

Junot Díaz reads his story “The Ghosts of Gloria Lara,” which appears in the November 6, 2023, issue of the magazine. Díaz is the author of the story collections “Drown” and “This Is How You Lose Her,” and the novel “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 2008.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Listen to Han Ong, MacArthur Fellowship and Berlin Prize recipient, author of plays and novels, as he reflects on aging, family, publishing, attending a controversial production, and complicated relationships and caregiving.

Mary Costello, author of award-winning novel "Academy Street," reads her story "The Choc-Ice Woman." Topics include unique funeral arrangements, reflections on loss and memories, the impact of books and libraries, betrayals and revelations, reflections on pain and loneliness, reproductive health complications, and a secret on a deathbed.

In this podcast episode, Lore Segal reads her story 'On the Agenda'. The speakers explore uncomfortable scenarios and personal hells, reminisce about past travels, and reflect on personal experiences including love and loss.

Lara Vapnyar, an accomplished author, reads her story 'Siberian Wood' about a protagonist's drunken behavior at a party. The story explores strange occurrences with cats, reflections on intimacy, and the group's plan to create a YouTube channel. Mark confronts Daria about her plans to move out, but she surprises him with her reaction. The narrator reflects on New York City and discovers a secret about Darya's new project.

Tessa Hadley, a prolific fiction writer with thirtieth story published in The New Yorker, discusses her journey as a writer, including the challenges she faced. They explore the connection between imagination and character development, observations from the window, and creating tension in a mother-daughter scene during the pandemic.

T. Coraghessan Boyle reads his story “The End Is Only a Beginning,” which appears in the August 21, 2023, issue of the magazine. Boyle has published more than two dozen books of fiction, including the story collection, “I Walk Between the Raindrops,” and the novel “Blue Skies,” which came out earlier this year. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Karan Mahajan reads his story “The True Margaret,” which appears in the August 14, 2023, issue of the magazine. Mahajan is the author of two novels, “Family Planning” and “The Association of Small Bombs,” which won the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award in 2017. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices