Selected Shorts

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

Host Meg Wolitzer presents the podcast What Could Go Right, by the Progress Network. It’s a current affairs show that tries to find a more balanced way of looking at what’s happening in the world. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

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

SELECTED SHORTS host Meg Wolitzer presents four works that were read as part of our live evening with WNYC’s Radiolab and hosts Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser.The theme was flight in many imaginative manifestations. Randa Jarrar’s “The Lunatics’ Eclipse” is a fable-like story of ro

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about perception and the relationship between what we see and what we believe.  In “Heart of a Champion,” T.C. Boyle gives the children’s classic Lassie an affectionately humorous reboot.  The reader is Kirsten Vangsness.  In Jamel Brinkley’

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three lively stories about the allure—or not—of summer.  Italian writer Massimo Bontempeli creates a magical beach inside an apartment in “The Miraculous Beach, or Prize for Modesty.” The work was translated by Jenny McPhee and is read by Hugh Dancy.Hum

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works about shifting identities.  In “Voices”, by German writer Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Carol Brown Janeway, a computer technician’s mobile phone takes over his life—and not in the usual way.The reader is David Costabile.Writer Chika Unigwe s

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three works about idealized lives, and ideas about what constitutes an ideal life.  “Boy Meets Girl” is Jen Kim’s humorous version of a Hollywood love story.  It’s read by Tony Hale.  In the John Cheever classic “The Worm in the Apple” a couple have the

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works about being careful.  The title says it all in George Saunders’ “Lars Farf, Excessively Fearful Father and Husband,” as the central character goes to greater and greater extremes to protect his family from—everything.  The reader is BD Wong. 

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

Today's story is all about what happens when you become infatuated with someone you don't really know. And what strange or scary things you might do in order to make real contact with that person. The story is also about youth, love of language, and what you do with all your pass