Nishanth Injam was raised in Telangana, India, and now makes his home in the US, in the Chicago area. His debut story collection, The Best Possible Experience, is a NY Times Editor's Choice pick. Nishanth is interviewed by his friend and colleague Stanley Stocker (Ep. 42), who met Nishanth when they both received the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize in 2021. https://www.nishanthinjam.com/aboutSupport the show
Dec 20, 2023
39 min
As an adolescent, Los Angeles author Mathieu Cailler accompanied his grandfather to LA comedy clubs - an experience that gave him the idea that writing jokes might be a worthy pursuit. Over time, those early efforts at comedy would lead him to write fiction and poetry. He now has seven books to his credit. We read his story "A Little off the Top," which first appeared in the 2017 Short Story America anthology. https://mathieucailler.com/Support the show
Dec 13, 2023
1 hr 11 min
UK author Emma Brankin's debut story collection Attention Seekers features stories inspired by her former career as an entertainment columnist, where she got to rub elbows with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Ariana Grande. That's not to say, however, that her fiction is superficial. She writes stories of a depth and complexity that belies her age. The author reads "I Am a Trainwreck Actress's Vagina" and "Eulogy for a Bastard," and Jon DiSavino reads "The Second Miss Thompson" - all of which are in Attention Seekers.Support the show
Dec 6, 2023
1 hr 15 min
California authors and fellow Stanford grads Leslie Kirk Campbell and Daniel A. Olivas reverse roles in this episode as interviewer and interviewee. They each get a chance to discuss their latest story collection: The Man With Eight Pairs of Legs (Sarabande Books) by Leslie Kirk Campbell and How to Date a Flying Mexican (University of Nevada Press) by Daniel A. Olivas. Sierra Lidén reads the selected stories. https://danielolivas.com/ https://lesliekirkcampbell.com/Support the show
Nov 29, 2023
1 hr 37 min
Hawai'i author Jessie Ren Marshall's confidence as a writer was evident even as a child, as an early self-published book entitled How to Write a Book made clear. Her debut story collection Women! In! Peril! (Bloomsbury) is proof that she knew exactly what she was talking about. Her story "After I Become a Ghost" is read by Sarah High, and Jessie reads "Find Water Near Me." https://www.jessierenmarshall.com/Support the show
Nov 15, 2023
1 hr 10 min
Massachusetts author John Fulton's fiction has the power to cast an unusual kind of spell upon the reader. You may find him deftly weaving elements of magical realism into the narrative - but there's always a deeply realized truth to be discovered each time. We read "Stitches," a story from his most recent collection The Flounder, which first appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review. https://johnfulton.net/Support the show
Nov 15, 2023
1 hr 10 min
Before Western New York author Melissa Ostrom fell in love with reading and long before she began writing stories, all she wanted to do was play. And she's never let go of that joyful impulse to explore, which is the secret behind her highly original fiction. We read her stories "Super-Absorbent Stella" (read by Clara Francesca), "The Postscript" (read by Jon DiSavino), and "Measurements" (read by Sierra Lidén). https://www.melissaostrom.com/Support the show
Nov 8, 2023
1 hr 2 min
Virginia author Julee Newberger's life was upended when she learned, at the age of forty, that she'd been adopted - information she received only after both her parents had died. She's currently working on a unique memoir which will blend non-fiction with imagined events. Her story "Along the Sound" is read by Sierra Lidén. https://juleenewberger.com/Support the show
Nov 1, 2023
1 hr 3 min
New Jersey author Stephen Cicirelli has a penchant for philosophy - and it shows up in his stories in surprising ways. But there's nothing academic about them. They vibrate with energy, often weaving sorrow with humor. We read his story "Quitting," about an experiment in free will that goes awry.Support the show
Oct 25, 2023
1 hr 13 min
California author Grant Faulkner was born and raised in Oskaloosa, Iowa - an experience that helped shape his sensibilities as a writer of stories of heartland America. But it's the 100 word story that has, of late, become his obsession. And there is no limit to what he's been able to achieve in that arena. In this episode we read two flash stories: "The Passenger" and "Cold Hard Cash." https://grantfaulkner.com/Support the show
Oct 18, 2023
1 hr
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