Radio Archive by Tag

Fiction

  • Cold Stone Dreamery.

    486: Valentine's Day 2013 02.08.2013

    Ben Loory wrote and tells this story, which begins with a duck falling in love with a rock. (8 ...Fiction • Romance

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  • Oh! The Places You Will Not Go!

    470: Show Me The Way 07.27.2012

    A man who believes he's turning into a cockroach reaches out to a world famous doctor for ...Fiction

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  • Healthy Start.

    468: Switcheroo 06.29.2012

    What if someone mistakes you for someone else, and you decide to just go with it? Actor John ...Fiction

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  • The Disenchanted Forest.

    463: Mortal Vs. Venial 04.27.2012

    Lying is a sin. But what about the lies that we all collectively believe because they give us ...Fiction

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  • The Conversation.

    462: Own Worst Enemy 04.13.2012

    The creators of the new podcast The Truth are trying to re-imagine and re-invent radio drama, ...Fiction • Radio

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  • Cold Stone Dreamery.

    457: What I Did For Love 02.10.2012

    Ben Loory wrote and tells this story, which begins with a duck falling in love with a rock. It's ...Animals • Fiction

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  • Oh the Places We'll Go.

    448: Adventure! 10.07.2011

    Any adventure show would be incomplete without some swashbuckling, dinosaur-chasing, ...Fiction

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  • Tin Man.

    446: Living Without (2011) 09.16.2011

    Sometimes it's hard to figure out if you're doing something of your own choice or because ...Fiction

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  • Act Two.

    444: Gossip 08.26.2011

    Chicago writer Rebecca Makkai bring us the story of a reality television producer attempting to ...Fiction • Romance • Television

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  • Act Four.

    428: Oh You Shouldn't Have 03.04.2011

    Actor Michael Chernus reads Etgar Keret's short story "What Of This Goldfish Would You Wish?" ...Death • Fiction • Murder

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  • Stocking Stuffers.

    422: Comedians of Christmas Comedy Special 12.17.2010

    Two very, very short stories by Edith Zimmerman. Edith is the editor of TheHairpin.com. (2 1/2 ...Fiction • Funny • Holidays

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  • Cry Me a Liver.

    415: Crybabies 09.24.2010

    A fable about being a crybaby, from David Sedaris' new book of animal fables, Squirrel Seeks ...Fiction • Funny

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  • Sleeping With The Enemy.

    404: Enemy Camp 2010 04.02.2010

    A short story, "Fatso," by Etgar Keret from his collection "The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be ...Fiction • Romance • Sexuality

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  • The Man Who Knew What I Was About To Say.

    393: Infidelity 10.30.2009

    Etgar Keret describes the moment in the immediate aftermath of an affair. Actor Matt Malloy ...Fiction

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  • Occupancy May Be Revoked Without Notice.

    386: Fine Print 07.24.2009

    David Rakoff tells the story of a contract between a son and his visiting mother. David Rakoff ...Family • Fiction • Funny

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  • If The Shoe Fits.

    381: Turncoat 05.22.2009

    Actor Matt Malloy reads a short piece of fiction called "Shoes," about a boy trying not to be a ...Childhood • Fiction • History

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  • Chicken Coop For The Soul.

    369: Poultry Slam 2008 11.28.2008

    A short story about an orthodox Jewish man who dies on the operating table and goes to heaven. ...Fiction • Funny • Religion

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  • Lieland.

    357: The Truth Will Out 06.13.2008

    Actor Dermot Mulroney reads a new short story by Israeli writer Etgar Keret. Etgar Keret's ...Fiction

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  • Before And After.

    349: Valentine's Day 2008 02.15.2008

    Richard Bausch reads his story "Letter to the Lady of the House" from his book, Selected Stories ...Fiction • Romance

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  • Fred And Barney.

    345: Ties That Bind 12.14.2007

    Jonathan Goldstein's story about trouble in the Town of Bedrock. One day, when he's backing out ...Fiction

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  • Divorce Is Rrruuffff!

    339: Break-Up 08.24.2007

    What divorce looks like from the dog's point of view. This monologue was performed by Merrill ...Animals • Divorce • Fiction

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  • Wenceslas Square.

    337: Man vs. History 07.27.2007

    Arthur Phillips reads an abridged version of his short story "Wenceslas Square," which takes ...Fiction • History

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  • If This Ark Is A Rockin', Don't Come A Knockin'.

    321: Sink or Swim 12.01.2006

    Jonathan Goldstein retells the original sink-or-swim story, the one about Noah and the flood. ...Boats • Fiction • Funny

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  • Waiting For Joe.

    318: With Great Power 10.06.2006

    When you're powerless, you think a lot about the powerful figures above you. Especially when ...Fiction • Food/Drinks/Cooking • Funny

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  • Combo Platter.

    315: The Parrot and the Potbellied Pig 07.21.2006

    David Sedaris reads a new story that explores the age-old question: Can a parrot and a ...Animals • Fiction • Funny

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  • Life Without Leanne.

    314: It's Never Over 06.23.2006

    Writer Larry Doyle on a love that will not die, no matter how dead it is. (7 minutes)Fiction • Funny • Romance

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  • Hello Kitty.

    309: Cat and Mouse 02.24.2006

    A story by David Sedaris about what happens when natural enemies meet, in an Alcoholics ...Alcohol • Animals • Fiction

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  • So A Squirrel And A Chipmunk Walk Into A Bar.

    308: Star-Crossed Love 02.10.2006

    David Sedaris reads his new fable about a squirrel, a chipmunk, and a love that could never be. ...Animals • Fiction • Funny

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  • No Tenenbaum, No Tenenbaum.

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    This American Life receives an emergency transmission from a rooftop somewhere in New York City, ...Fiction • Funny • Holidays

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  • My So-called Jesus.

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    Yeah, Mary Magdalene knew Jesus. She knew him before anybody else had ever even heard of him. ...Fiction • Funny • Religion

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  • An Animal Farm Christmas.

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    The great Christmas classics are all like fables. David Sedaris contributes his own, about ...Animals • Fiction • Funny

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  • What Would Joseph Do?

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    Jonathan Goldstein retells the classic Christmas story, trying to understand what exactly goes ...Birth • Fiction • Holidays

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  • Mall Rat.

    298: Getting and Spending 09.23.2005

    John Hodgman provides an occasionally true account of seven days spent at the Mall of America. ...Fiction • Retail/Commerce

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  • Small Fish, Smaller Pond.

    295: Not What I Signed Up For 08.26.2005

    Nick Hornby's new story about a country so tiny, it's just a field, a few houses, a shop, and a ...Children • Fiction • Mothers

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  • Eight Percent Of Nothing.

    285: Know Your Enemy 03.25.2005

    Our program ends with a story of knowing your enemy in a more domestic setting: In a marriage. ...Fiction • Marriage

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  • The Lobbyist.

    278: Spies Like Us 11.19.2004

    When Burt Covit was programming his VCR one day, he accidentally tuned in to a channel showing ...Fiction • Television

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  • And I Love Her.

    274: Enemy Camp '04 10.08.2004

    "Fatso," a short story by Etgar Keret from his collection The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God. ...Fiction • Romance

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  • Are You A Man Or A Mouse?

    269: Someone to Watch Over Me 07.16.2004

    Aimee Bender reads her story "The Rememberer," about a woman whose lover is undergoing reverse ...Fiction • Romance

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  • Swiss Near-miss.

    267: Propriety 06.11.2004

    Out with a man on a moonlit walk on Lake Geneva, an American woman does the proper thing. He ...Fiction

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  • Tin Man.

    256: Living Without 01.09.2004

    Sometimes it's hard to figure out if you're doing something of your own choice or because ...Family • Fiction • Writing

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  • And What's Going On With You?

    245: Allure of the Mean Friend 09.05.2003

    A case study in every word from a friend meaning its opposite. An excerpt from the short story ...Fiction • Friendship

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  • And I Love Her.

    242: Enemy Camp 07.18.2003

    A short story, "Fatso," by Etgar Keret. A woman reveals to her boyfriend that she's not always ...Fiction • Romance

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  • The First Starting From Scratch.

    233: Starting from Scratch 03.07.2003

    Jonathan Goldstein reads a story about the first people to ever start from scratch, a couple ...Fiction • Religion

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  • On The Border Between Good And Bad.

    228: You Are So Beautiful…To Me 01.03.2003

    Another story of someone using the word love as they try to make sense of things. Russell Banks ...Fiction • Romance

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  • This Blessed House.

    221: Fake I.D. 09.20.2002

    A short story by Jhumpa Lahiri, from her book of short stories The Interpreter of Maladies. The ...Fiction • Housing • Religion

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  • Prologue.

    205: Plan B 02.01.2002

    Host Ira Glass summarizes the results of an informal poll of about a hundred people, about ...Fiction

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  • The Accursed Items.

    205: Plan B 02.01.2002

    J. Robert Lennon reads an excerpt from his short story "The Accursed Items," in which he ...Fiction

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  • Just Be Yourself.

    198: How to Win Friends and Influence People 11.02.2001

    Producer Jonathan Goldstein with a story about what it's like to date Lois Lane when she's on ...Fiction • Funny • Romance

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  • Werewolves In Their Youth.

    188: Kid Logic 06.22.2001

    Michael Chabon reads an excerpt from his short story Werewolves in Their Youth, from his ...Children • Fiction

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  • Cringe And Purge.

    182: Cringe 04.13.2001

    A lot of stories from your life, the more you tell them, the less power they have over you. But ...Fiction

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  • Every Day I Forget Something Else.

    180: Return to Childhood 03.23.2001

    An excerpt from Nicholson Baker's novel The Everlasting Story of Nory, which is narrated, more ...Children • Fiction

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  • Birthday Present.

    174: Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Milestones 12.29.2000

    On a commemorative day, it can be hard to feel a real sense of the past and of how time has ...Fiction • Holidays • Live Performance

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  • Prologue.

    173: Three Kinds of Deception 12.15.2000

    Host Ira Glass reads an excerpt from Nick Hornby's novel About a Boy. The narrator, Will, ...Children • Fiction

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  • When Happiness Hurtles Downward Like Rain From Heaven.

    169: Pursuit of Happiness 09.29.2000

    Thomas Beller tells the story of how we go from innocently amusing ourselves, to less innocent ...Childhood • Fiction

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  • Prologue.

    166: Nobody's Family Is Going to Change 08.11.2000

    Host Ira Glass describes a children's book from the 1970s called Nobody's Family Is Going to ...Children • Family • Fiction

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  • What Police Cannot Do.

    164: Crime Scene 07.07.2000

    Actor Matt Malloy reads a short story by Aimee Bender, from her book The Girl in the Flammable ...Children • Crime • Fiction

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  • Prologue.

    159: Mother's Day 05.12.2000

    Tillie Olsen reads from her short story "I Stand Here Ironing," from her collection Tell Me A ...Fiction • Mothers • Parenting

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  • $82.50 A Day.

    157: Secret Life of Daytime 04.14.2000

    Writer Mona Simpson reads from her forthcoming novel My Hollywood. This excerpt is about the ...Children • Fiction • Jobs/Employment

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  • Resurrection.

    154: In Dog We Trust 03.10.2000

    Writer Brady Udall with another story about what animals can take the place of, in our lives and ...Animals • Childhood • Family

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  • Kiss.

    152: Crush 02.11.2000

    So what if you held onto a high-school crush? Under what conditions would it never go away? ...Childhood • Death • Family

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  • On Seeing The 100% Perfect Girl One April Morning.

    152: Crush 02.11.2000

    As pure of a depiction of unadulterated crush feeling as can be imagined—from writer Haruki ...Fiction • Romance

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  • Prologue.

    134: We Didn't 07.09.1999

    Ira reads a very brief excerpt from a short story from writer Stuart Dybek called "We Didn't." ...Fiction

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  • How To Become An American.

    128: Four Corners 04.30.1999

    Writer Achy Obejas reads a piece of short fiction from her book, We Came All the Way from Cuba ...Fiction • Immigration • Jobs/Employment

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  • What Goes Through Your Head.

    114: Last Words 10.23.1998

    Writer Tobias Wolff reads his story "Bullet in the Brain" from his collection of stories The ...Crime • Death • Fiction

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  • How To Date A Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, Or Halfie.

    94: How To 02.27.1998

    A how-to by Junot Diaz, from his book Drown. (11 minutes) Read the content advisory we sent out ...Fiction • Race • Romance

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  • Before And After.

    93: Valentine's Day '98 02.13.1998

    Richard Bausch reads his story Letter to the Lady of the House. (25 minutes)Family • Fiction • Marriage

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  • Fraternity Is Destiny.

    89: Sibling Rivalry 01.09.1998

    Writer Donald Antrim's The Hundred Brothers, and the question: What happens when we grow up? (24 ...Fiction • siblings

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  • Break It Down.

    88: Numbers 01.02.1998

    A man tries to calculate what love costs. From Lydia Davis's book Break It Down, read by actor ...Fiction • Romance • Sexuality

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  • Nostalgia: The Final Frontier.

    79: Stuck in the Wrong Decade 10.10.1997

    Jeff Dorchen reads Italo Calvino's short story All At One Point from Calvino's book Cosmicomics. ...Fiction • History • Science

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  • Thief.

    70: Other People's Mail 07.25.1997

    There can be consequences for reading other people's mail. Fiction writer Mona Simpson reads an ...Crime • Fiction • Jobs/Employment

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  • Act One.

    64: Summer 05.23.1997

    Ron Carlson's short story.Fiction • Jobs/Employment • Romance

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  • On The Green River.

    64: Summer 05.23.1997

    We begin to hear a story by Scott Carrier. And Ron Carlson's story continues.Fiction • Jobs/Employment • Teenagers

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  • Fireman.

    60: Business of Death 04.18.1997

    Actor Michael Stumm reads from fireman and fiction writer Larry Brown's book On Fire. (4 minutes)Death • Fiction

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  • Who You Meet.

    57: Delivery 03.14.1997

    "Edison, New Jersey," a story about delivering pool tables from Junot Diaz's book Drown. (18 ...Fiction • Jobs/Employment

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  • The 400 Pound CEO.

    51: Animals Die, People Ponder 01.24.1997

    Short fiction by George Saunders. (31 minutes)Animals • Fiction

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  • Desiring Amnesia.

    42: Get Over It! 11.15.1996

    Fiction writer George Saunders reads his story "Offloading for Mrs Schwartz," from his book ...Death • Fiction • Marriage

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  • Orientation.

    37: The Job That Takes Over Your Life 09.27.1996

    Even the most innocent office job can take over your life. A story by fiction writer Daniel ...Fiction • Jobs/Employment

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  • Haiku at the Scrimmage Line

    35: Fall Clearance Sale 09.06.1996

    Scott Carrier's Haiku stories. Scott is the author of Running After Antelope. (13 minutes)Fiction • Poetry

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  • The Man In The Well.

    27: The Cruelty of Children 06.21.1996

    Original fiction by Ira Sher about a group of children who find a man trapped in a well but ...Children • Fiction

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  • Sex.

    13: Love 02.07.1996

    Audio artist Gregory Whitehead weaves a story of sexual discovery. And This American Life ...Fiction • Sexuality • Teenagers

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  • Another Dave.

    11: Enemies 01.24.1996

    Sarah Thyre reads author David Sedaris' "The Last Time You'll Ever Hear from Me," a story of the ...Death • Fiction • Friendship

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  • Act One.

    7: Quitting 12.29.1995

    A story about quitting by Sandra Tsing Loh. (10 minutes) Animals • Fiction • Music

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  • Act Three.

    7: Quitting 12.29.1995

    Lisa Buscani reads a two-part story about not being able to quit something or someone. The piece ...Fiction • Jobs/Employment • Music

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  • Act Two.

    6: Christmas 12.22.1995

    A story about Christmas at Juvenile Court by Chicago novelist/editor Reginald Gibbons. (10 minutes)Criminal Justice • Fiction • Holidays

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