short story – LIVING WRITERS

short story

Emma Straub laughing, author photo

Emma Straub

From the archive: 2012 Emma Straub reads from her debut novel Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures (Riverhead Books 2012). We talk about research in Hollywood, the Herrick Library, New York City, Twitter, and working as a bookseller. We also talk about short stories and her collection Other People We Married (Riverhead Books) also out this …

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author photo

Lorrie Moore

From the archive: 2009 Lorrie Moore reads from her novel A Gate at the Stairs (Knopf 2009). We talk about the music of writing within the novel and the short story.  We also talk about being part of a community–and writing about loss–our collective and individual sorrows–our awkwardness and joy. And a few words about …

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author photo from Black Kudos

ZZ Packer

From the archive: 2010 ZZ Packer reads from Buffalo Soldiers, her novel-in-progress.  We talk about Drinking Coffee Elsewhere (Riverhead Books 2003) and about sending stories out into the world–and how much work it actually takes to have someone say that your prose is “effortless.” We also talk about politics, revision, and what “Sometimes You Get …

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author photo

Deborah Eisenberg

From the archive: 2008 Deborah Eisenberg reads from her latest collection of short stories Twilight of the Superheroes (Picador 2007).  We talk about the glories of the short story–and plays and politics.  We talk about public life, fiction and privacy. We also talk about empathy in fiction and economy of language. https://umich.box.com/shared/static/skt79ug7qchyd0n7s9nd0nw451zt1qxw.mp3 Download Audio Photo credit: …

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author photo

Amy Hempel

From the archive: 2008 Amy Hempel reads from The Collected Stories (Scribner 2007). We talk about writing short shorts and writing prose poems–and about having that first line–how it shows you the way to the story. We hear a poem called “Sing to It.”  And we talk about dogs. https://umich.box.com/shared/static/kq6s3tjl3b34aee1cizeuee4k88bqaby.mp3 Download Audio Original airdate: December 3, …

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Catherine Lacey

Catherine Lacey reads from Certain American States: Stories (Picador 2018) in a special Fundraiser 2020 episode of Living Writers. We talk about websites, irresolution, humor, dogs, and her novel Pew out in May 2020. https://umich.box.com/shared/static/6nsuxt01prerwl2fs1uywmqiqwb721f8.mp3 Download Audio WCBN Fundraiser 2020: visit www.wcbn.org to pledge on-line

Jac Jemc

Jac Jemc reads from False Bingo (FSG Originals 2019). We talk about tactical elements of the writing life.  We also talk about being playful, about finding and building community, and about a frog.

Cristina Henríquez

Summer host Amanda Uhle talks with Cristina Henríquez, author of The Book of Unknown Americans (Vintage 2014). Her other work includes The World in Half and the short story collection Come Together, Fall Apart. We talk about writing from multiple points of view, immigration policy, meeting one’s readers in person, and supporting youth writers in the 826 network …

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Patti F. Smith, Britain Woodman, and Michael Andreoni

Triple the fun on Living Writers with guests Patti F. Smith and Britain Woodman talking about Vanishing Ann Arbor (The History Press 2019) and Michael Andreoni talking about his short story collection The Window Is A Mirror (bhc Press 2018). We talk about Ann Arbor’s story, then, and now; putting together a long form history; paths to being a writer; and, …

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Aimee Bender

Aimee Bender joins Living Writers via phone from California and reads part of her short story “Tiger Mending” from The Color Master (Vintage & Anchor Books 2013). We talk about creativity + limitation, exhilaration, Virginia Woolf + a room of one’s own, and consequences. In the last quarter of the episode, T reads the prologue …

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