The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

Joy Williams, Winner of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, reads her story “The Beach House.” Topics include family memories, disownment, discussions about fudge and worker aprons, donating the Beach House, impending death, and struggling to make ends meet.

A group of old friends gather in Palm Springs for a week of reckless activities. The narrator reflects on their privileged lifestyle and desire for something new. Frustration arises during a hike due to closed trails. Discussions about happiness, regrets, and the impact of having kids ensue. The group encounters a mysterious figure named Wagner and discuss embracing wealth and the passing of time. The narrator reflects on their experience at a cactus garden and the desire for connection and unity.

Author Rivka Galchen reads her story 'Crown Heights North,' exploring themes of vulnerability, connection, routine, mortality, and unexpected encounters. The story follows a man reflecting on life, love, and the vibrant community around him while jogging, offering a complex and lively picture of his experiences.

Author Caleb Crain reads his story “Keats at Twenty-Four” and discusses the power of the unfinished, the meaning of the 'Oh Shenandoah' song, musing on solitude and time for writers, auditioning for a singing group, challenges of portraying real people in fiction, and an unexpected encounter involving a trapped pigeon.

Teju Cole reads his story about Miss Prosper, a woman who sings revealing her true essence. The group plans an escape, facing painful obstacles. The narrator expresses through writing and reflects on welcoming a nonverbal individual. It explores reflections on departure and a challenging journey to the coast.

Madeleine Thien, a writer, reads and discusses Yoko Ogawa's 2004 story 'The Cafeteria in the Evening and a Pool in the Rain' on The New Yorker Fiction Podcast. Thien admires Ogawa's ability to tap into something beyond language, explores the protagonist's relationship with a dog, speculates on the identities of the characters, and discusses the ending's positive tone despite not being a fairytale ending.

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.