Weekly Short Stories

Each week The Literary Roadhouse podcast hosts deeply read and discuss one short story.

A podcast for literary fiction discussions of short stories and novels.

Good People | David Foster Wallace | Literary Roadhouse Ep 105

February 28, 2018 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 00:33:42 3 Comments

Discussion Notes: Good People

Find this week’s story here: Good People by David Foster Wallace.

Next week’s story: Measures of Time by Andrea Eberly.

Rated: Explicit

Gerald, Rammy, and Anais tackle David Foster Wallace’s short story “Good People” which centers around a young religious couple who are debating whether or not to have an abortion. Rammy gets into a strong discussion with Anais about morals. Meanwhile Maya disagrees with everyone else about the theme of the story, which challenges Anais to read some extracts to clarify character’s motives. A heated debate ensues! Come for the bickering, stay for the strangest Which Would You Rather quiz you’ve ever heard.

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Lastly, your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

A podcast for literary fiction discussions of short stories and novels.

The Autumn of the Patriarch | Gabriel Garcia Márquez | Literary Roadhouse Ep 104

February 21, 2018 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 00:30:05 2 Comments

Discussion Notes: The Autumn of the Patriarch

Find this week’s story here: The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel Garcia Márquez.

Next week’s story: Good People by David Foster Wallace.

Rated: Clean

Gerald, Rammy, and Anais tackle a Gabriel Garcia Márquez story. Initially, all three hosts found the story a bit flat, but through the discussion they discovered the aspects of it which they enjoyed. While Gerald enjoyed the prose, Anais found the cadence off-putting, but enjoyed the story’s timelessness. Meanwhile Rammy pondered the emptiness of the patriarch’s life. Stay for a giddy game and test your knowledge of dictators!

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below!

By the way, we have a special announcement! Longtime listener Richard Dennis has recently published a short story in the University of Chicago’s Euphony Journal in the Winter 2018 edition. Read it for free online!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Lastly, your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

A podcast for literary fiction discussions of short stories and novels.

The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds | Neil Gaiman | Literary Roadhouse Ep 103

February 14, 2018 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 00:19:33 2 Comments

Discussion Notes: The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds

Find this week’s story here: The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Neil Gaiman.

Next week’s story: The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel Garcia Márquez.

Rated: Clean

Maya, Gerald, Rammy and Anais deviate from their usual literary fare for something light and whimsical with little deep literary thought. Naturally, Maya near hated it! Where is her substance, her drama, her introspection and depth? However, Maya was alone in her need for deep, as Gerald, Anais, and Rammy loved this fun whimsical break from fiction that makes you work. As a lover of noir thriller, Gerald in particular enjoyed this noir mystery set in the land of children’s nurseries. As Rammy points out, this is what a Dick Tracy comic book would feel like.

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Lastly, your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

A podcast for literary fiction discussions of short stories and novels.

Gravel | Alice Munro | Literary Roadhouse Ep 102

February 7, 2018 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 0:38:05 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: Gravel

Find this week’s story here: Gravel by Alice Munro.

Next week’s story: The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Neil Gaiman.

Rated: Clean

Maya, Gerald, Rammy and Anais cleanse their palettes after last week’s experimental fiction with a classic story from Alice Munro. Dear listener, prepare yourself for a gush fest early on in the episode as our hosts sing the story’s praises and Rammy admits to getting a little teary eyed at the end. However, the story’s structure, point of view, and themes provide plenty of meat for our hosts to chew on.

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Lastly, your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

A podcast for literary fiction discussions of short stories and novels.

Ingenue | Deborah Wong | Literary Roadhouse Ep 101

January 31, 2018 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 00:42:00 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: Ingenue

Find this week’s story here: Ingénue by Deborah.

Next week’s story: Gravel by Alice Munro.

Rated: Explicit

Maya, Gerald, Rammy and Anais are back and in full swing scratching their heads over experimental fiction! Ingenue by Deborah Wong is a highly poetic story baffled our hosts, who try to temper their confusion with respect for the author’s craft. Maya valiantly defends poetics, while Anais tries her hardest to thread together the bits of the plot. Gerald reflects on the best sentences that moved him, as Rammy ponders the appropriateness of breaking grammar rules that throw the reader off track.

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Lastly, your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

A podcast for literary fiction discussions of short stories and novels.

100th Episode Special! | Literary Roadhouse Ep 100

December 6, 2017 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 0:42:46 2 Comments

Discussion Notes: 100th Episode Special!

Find this week’s story here: Our 100th Episode Special! The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin.

Next week’s story: Ingénue by Deborah Wong.

Rated: Clean

Our 100th episode! We’re super excited it’s here and sorry it’s late! It’s been a whirlwind fall for our hosts, and we’re back in the saddle bringing you great short story discussions.

For the 100th episode, we revisited the first story we ever discussed on this show: “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. Maya, Gerald and Anais examine how the story has changed for them 100 stories later. All four hosts examine how reading a story per week has changed the way they read, and made them appreciate different aspects of story.

Stay for a grim gay of celebrity dead or alive, and freestyle (and dark) outro!

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Lastly, your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

A podcast for literary fiction discussions of short stories and novels.

The Swimmer | John Cheever | Literary Roadhouse Ep 99

August 16, 2017 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 00:30:31 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: The Swimmer

Find this week’s story here: The Swimmer by John Cheever.

Next week’s story: The 100th Episode! We’re revisiting The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin.

Rated: Clean

Maya couldn’t join us this week, but never fear, Gerald, Rammy, and Anais tackle John Cheever’s classic short story The Swimmer. While Gerald and Anais enjoyed the broad commentary on suburban and married life, Rammy hoped for more specifics on The Swimmer missteps to better understand the downturn in his fortunes. When it comes to prose, our hosts remark on Cheever’s skill in maintain a mystery without frustrating the reader and touching on dark themes while keeping the tone light.

Next week we celebrate out 100th episode! We’re going to re-examine the first short story we’ve ever discussed on the show!

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Lastly, your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

A podcast for literary fiction discussions of short stories and novels.

Man From the South | Roald Dahl | Literary Roadhouse Ep 98

August 9, 2017 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 0:40:30 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: Man From the South

Find this week’s story here: Man From the South by Roald Dahl.

Next week’s story: The Swimmer by John Cheever.

Rated: Clean

Maya, Gerald, Rammy, and Anais discuss the strange wager at the center of Roald Dahl’s Man From the South. This very short story entertained all four hosts, but Maya in particular hoped for more depth. Meanwhile, Anais loved the tension, Gerald enjoyed some inspired descriptions, and Rammy loved the twist ending.

The bizarre bet in the story inspired Rammy to look up more weird bets and quiz his fellow hosts on what he found. Among the things he found is a strange bet involving Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. Click here for that full story on CNN.

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Lastly, your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

A podcast for literary fiction discussions of short stories and novels.

Kilifi Creek | Lionel Shriver | Literary Roadhouse Ep 97

August 2, 2017 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 0:37:29 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: Kilifi Creek

Find this week’s story here: Kilifi Creek by Lionel Shriver.

Next week’s story: Man From the South by Roald Dahl.

Rated: Clean

The week Maya couldn’t join us, but Gerald, Rammy, and Anais tackle Kilifi Creek by Lionel Shriver, the winner of the BBC National Short Story Award.While Gerald struggled to see the point of the story, Rammy and Anais enjoyed the nuggets of truth and commentary about Western youths traveling abroad in developing nations, and the frank portrayal of youthful self-absorption. Still, all three hosts agreed that the story’s exploration of the suddenness and randomness of death could have gone a little deeper. Poor Rammy, he wanted a happy ending.

Stay tuned after the discussion for an audio version of Animal Face-off: Lion v. Elephant!

This podcast also features the most divisive game of 20 questions you’ve ever heard. Don’t worry, we’re all still friends.

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Lastly, your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

A podcast for literary fiction discussions of short stories and novels.

Martha, Martha | Zadie Smith | Literary Roadhouse Ep 96

July 28, 2017 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 00:46:46 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: Martha, Martha

Find this week’s story here: Martha, Martha by Zadie Smith.

Next week’s story: Kilifi Creek by Lionel Shriver.

Rated: Clean

The week, Gerald, Maya, Rammy, and Anais discuss Martha, Martha by Zadie Smith, a story which left everyone but Maya initially underwhelmed. While all the hosts agreed that the prose and the characterizations deserved praise, the plot left some guests wanting. However, it turned out that the story served up excellent fodder for discussion. Themes of racism, immigration, and culture underscore every interaction in the short story, drawing a poignant picture of what it means to arrive in America and strive.

This podcast also features the most divisive game of 20 questions you’ve ever heard. Don’t worry, we’re all still friends.

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Lastly, your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

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Reading along with us and have comments of your own? You are welcome to leave them on this website, our join our closed Facebook group for story discussion, The Literary Roadhouse Readers.

About Literary Roadhouse

Literary Roadhouse is a literary podcast where avid readers and aspiring writers read and discuss short and long fiction.
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