Selected Shorts

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 Venu

Host Meg Wolitzer presents the podcast Before The Moment, hosted by music icon Nile Rodger. Nile sits down with some of music’s biggest names to uncover the turning points that defined them, and, importantly, what was happening before everything changed. I hope you enjoy it as mu

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, perf

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

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,

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 Chi

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,

Meg Wolitzer presents two favorite Selected Shorts works in which food and nourishment figure both literally and symbolically.  The narrator of Haruki Murakami’s “The Year of Spaghetti” seems to be just sharing pasta recipes, but it’s the recipe for assuaging loneliness that

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works about love and marriage.  In Amy Silverberg’s “Have You Met Husband?” two men and a dog vie for this title.  The reader is Molly Bernard.  And Mary Gordon’s “The Magician’s Wife” is a touching portrait of life-long devotion—a ki

British actor Tim Curry died on August 26th at the age of 80. Celebrated for his infamous portrayal of Frank-N-Furter in the musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show, his decades-long career included many other roles on stage and screen.   Among them, M

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three works of speculative fiction curated by best-selling author N.K. Jemisin.  In John Scalzi’s “When the Yogurt Took Over” a popular breakfast staple decides it’s good for everyone.  The reader in Jin Ha.  Chatbots and A.I. can be help

Erin Somers is an author we've featured twice on Too Hot in the past, making her the first three-timer in the history of Too Hot! She's the author of the novels Stay Up with Hugo Best and The Ten Year Affair; the latter originated as a short story of the same title, which we did