Episodes - This American Life

As pure of a depiction of unadulterated crush feeling as can be imagined—from writer Haruki Murakami's collection of short stories, The Elephant Vanishes. It's read for us by actor Matt Malloy.

134: We Didn’t

July 9, 1999

Prologue

Ira reads a very brief excerpt from a short story from writer Stuart Dybek called "We Didn't." Dybek fills 11 pages, thousands of words, describing all the things two people do when they're not doing something.

128: Four Corners

Apr. 30, 1999

Act Four: How To Become An American

Writer Achy Obejas reads a piece of short fiction from her book, We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This? (11 minutes)

114: Last Words

Oct. 23, 1998

Act Six: What Goes Through Your Head

Writer Tobias Wolff reads his story "Bullet in the Brain" from his collection of stories The Night in Question, about a bank robbery and a man who's shot, and what he thinks about before he dies.

94: How To

Feb. 27, 1998

Act Two: How To Date A Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, Or Halfie

A how-to by Junot Diaz, from his book Drown.

93: Valentine’s Day ’98

Feb. 13, 1998

Act One: Before And After

Richard Bausch reads his story Letter to the Lady of the House.

89: Sibling Rivalry

Jan. 9, 1998

Act Four: Fraternity Is Destiny

Writer Donald Antrim's The Hundred Brothers, and the question: What happens when we grow up? (24 minutes)

88: Numbers

Jan. 2, 1998

Act Five: Break It Down

A man tries to calculate what love costs. From Lydia Davis's book Break It Down, read by actor Matt Malloy.

79: Stuck in the Wrong Decade

Oct. 10, 1997

Working In Another Decade [Retracted]

This episode originally included a story by reporter Stephen Glass (no relation to Ira) about an internship at George Washington's former plantation, which we have removed because of questions about its truthfulness.

70: Other People's Mail

July 25, 1997

Act Two: Thief

There can be consequences for reading other people's mail.

64: Summer

May 23, 1997

Act One

Ron Carlson's short story.

Act Two: On The Green River

We begin to hear a story by Scott Carrier.

60: Business of Death

Apr. 18, 1997

Act Three: Fireman

Actor Michael Stumm reads from fireman and fiction writer Larry Brown's book On Fire.

57: Delivery

Mar. 14, 1997

Act Two: Who You Meet

"Edison, New Jersey," a story about delivering pool tables from Junot Diaz's book Drown.

51: Animals Die, People Ponder

Jan. 24, 1997

Act Two: The 400 Pound CEO

Short fiction by George Saunders.

42: Get Over It!

Nov. 15, 1996

Act Two: Wishing For Amnesia

Fiction writer George Saunders reads his story "Offloading for Mrs Schwartz," from his book CivilWarLand in Bad Decline. It's the story of someone who can't get over the death of his ex-wife.

37: The Job That Takes Over Your Life

Sept. 27, 1996

Act Four: Orientation

Even the most innocent office job can take over your life. A story by fiction writer Daniel Orozco about one such job.

35: Fall Clearance Sale

Sept. 6, 1996

Act Two: Haiku at the Scrimmage Line

Scott Carrier's Haiku stories. Scott is the author of Running After Antelope.

27: The Cruelty of Children

June 21, 1996

Act Two: The Man In The Well

Original fiction by Ira Sher about a group of children who find a man trapped in a well but decide not to get him any help.

13: Love

Feb. 7, 1996

Act Two: Sex

Audio artist Gregory Whitehead weaves a story of sexual discovery. And This American Life producer Nancy Updike makes an odd discovery about condom use ... or the lack thereof.

11: Enemies

Jan. 24, 1996