On Selected Shorts, actors transport us through the magic of fiction, one short story at a time. Sometimes funny. Always moving. Selected Shorts connects you to the world with a rich diversity of voices from literature, film, theater, and comedy.
Over 35 years ago, Selected Shorts was born on the stage at Symphony Space and quickly became one of the best known shows of its kind spawning a popular public radio show, podcast, audio collections, and national tours. The series was conceived with a simple premise: take great stories by well-known and emerging writers and have them brought to life by terrific actors of stage and screen. Whether featuring stories around a lively theme, the favorite works of a guest author, or a special collaboration, each Selected Shorts event is a unique night of literature in performance.
The radio show is recorded live from performances at the Peter Sharp Theater at Symphony Space in New York, as well as around the US on tours. From the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Selected Shorts is one of the premiere reading series in New York City, attracting some of the biggest names in entertainment.
There is a theme to each Selected Shorts episode and performance. Several stories are presented around each theme. The stories are almost always fiction, sometimes classic, sometimes new, always performed by great actors from stage, screen and television. Evenings are often co-hosted by writers, literary producers, and other interesting characters.
Recent readers include Ellen Burstyn, Kathleen Turner, Edie Falco, Claire Danes, Michael Shannon, Tony Shalhoub, Michael C. Hall, Paul Giamatti, Jane Curtin, Zachary Quinto, Anika Noni Rose, Bebe Neuwirth, Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Tony Hale, Josh Radnor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, BD Wong, and many more.
Look below for a list of recent Selected Shorts episodes. For more information about the show, click here.
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Meg Wolitzer presents three stories that explore good intentions and how they can go wrong. In “Mantis,” by Gina Chung, a deadly insect tries to mend her ways. The reader is Monica Raymund. Dino Buzzati’s “The Jacket,” translated from the Italian by Lawrence Venuti, features a garment that just keeps on giving—but at what cost? The reader is Justin Kirk. And two outsiders connect at a party in Caitlin Horrocks’ “23 Months,” read by Liza Weil. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Meg Wolitzer presents three stories in that explore the idea of “fitting in,” and whether it’s worth the effort. In “Reality,” by Diana Spechler, a woman longs for the ephemeral glory of a reality show. It’s read by Kirsten Vangsness. “Long Hair,” by Uche Okonkwo, performed by Karen Pittman, explores hair as a form of power. And “A Sacrifice,” by Simon Van Booy, performed by Joanna Gleason, tells of social dynamics and family secrets in a small Irish village. A brief interview with Van Booy is included. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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On this episode, a story about bad behavior. But it's also about family and the limits of forgiveness. While this story wasn't written that long ago, due to technological advancements, it feels like a piece of the past. Just 10, even 5 years ago, you had to know a character they called a "bookie" to "place your bets" and, if you didn't pay up, "have your legs broken." That's the world we're about to enter. The story was written by Austin Blaze. Blaze is a writer from Northern California. His work has been listed as a distinguished story in The Best American Short Stories and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize. Our reader is Will Brill. Brill went to Broadway in the revival of Oklahoma! and in the play Stereophonic—for which he won a Tony. On TV, he's featured on series such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and in films including Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing. After the story, Blaze speaks to host Aparna Nancherla about his work. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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On this Selected Shorts, host Meg Wolitzer invites us on a literary tour of Ireland with bestselling author Colum McCann, who hosted a live event at Symphony Space celebrating the rich heritage of Irish literature, and some gifted contemporary voices. The program includes, “Lucy’s Boyfriend,” a sharp-witted story about contemporary dating mores by Anne Enright, read by Crystal Dickinson; a touching reflection on the loss of Ireland’s young to jobs overseas, “Fishing in the Sloe-Black River,” by McCann himself, read by Aedin Maloney; and “Toronto and the State of Grace,” a wild social comedy by Kevin Barry that takes place at a bar at the end of the world and is read by Santino Fontana. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works that reassess and redefine our ideas of “the West.” It’s both a landscape of awesome beauty, and the scene of cultural appropriation, and we’ve got two masters sharing and shaping our experience. In Louise Erdrich’s “The Hollow Children” a natural disaster tests family ties. It’s read by Tate Donovan. And writer and environmental activist Rick Bass stress tests the West, and his main character, in “Fires,” read by John Benjamin Hickey. We also reprise part of an interview with Louise Erdrich from earlier in the year. In it, she mentions a new novel in progress, which has now been published: The Mighty Red: A Novel. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Meg Wolitzer presents two stories that combine different sorts of unknowables: unidentified—or hard to identify—flying objects, and romantic love. In “The Duck,” by Ben Loory, a heartsick mallard has chosen a really unattainable object of affection. The reader, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, was Sonia Manzano. And an early Haruki Murakami story, “U.F.O. in Kushiro,” sends a jilted husband on a journey of self-discovery. The reader, at The Japan Society, was Javier Munoz. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.