This week’s story: The Zero Meter Diving Team by Jim Shepard
Next week’s story: Out There by Kate Folk
Rated: Clean
Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “The Zero Meter Diving Team” by Jim Shepard, a story which parallels the power dynamics of a Russian family with the Chernobyl disaster they experienced. Please excuse the ongoing references to HBO’s Chernobyl series. Anais and Gerald had both recently watched it before reading this story.
Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers.
We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.
Looking for more to read?
Click here for a full list of all short stories discussed on the podcast.
This week’s story: With the Beatles by Haruki Murakami
Next week’s story: Zero Meter Diving by Jim Shepard
Rated: Clean
Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “With the Beatles” by Haruki Murakami. This melancholy story is about a man who remembers two young women from his younger days. Our hosts grappled with the meaning but it eluded them.
Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers.
We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.
Looking for more to read?
Click here for a full list of all short stories discussed on the podcast.
This week’s story: Mandatory Carry by Caleb March
Next week’s story: With the Beatles by Haruki Murakami
Rated: Clean
In “Mandatory Carry” by Caleb March, every citizen must own a gun, carry it with them on all times, and intervene during crimes. Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss the social commentary and plot of the story, and how the latter carries the former — though they disagree on the motivations that drove a major plot point!
Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers
We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.
Looking for more to read?
Click here for a full list of all short stories discussed on the podcast.
This week’s story: Freyr by Tommy Orange
Next week’s story: Mandatory Carry by Caleb March
Rated: Explicit
Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “Freyr” by Tommy Orange. In this story, two men bond over their individual physical deformities. One wears his on his face, the other secretly under his shirt! Anais, Gerald, and Andy all highly rated this one, giving it 6 out of 6 Bradberries. Wow!
Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers.
We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.
Looking for more to read?
Click here for a full list of all short stories discussed on the podcast.
This week’s story: The Curfew by Roddy Doyle
Next week’s story: Freyr by Tommy Orange
Rated: Clean
Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “The Curfew” by Roddy Doyle, a story of an aging man in Dublin who anticipates an approaching hurricane with surprising eagerness. The story was a rare sensation with all three hosts who were bursting with praise for this beautifully spun tale about aging and late-life reflections.
Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers.
We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.
Looking for more to read?
Click here for a full list of all short stories discussed on the podcast.
This week’s story: The Rabbit Matchmakers by Andrew Phillips
Next week’s story: The Curfew by Roddy Doyle
Rated: Clean
Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “The Rabbit Matchmakers” by Andrew Phillips, a story of a sensitive boy, his late grandfather’s pet rabbit, and the secrets of his grandfather’s tall-tale life. Gerald and Andy were quite disappointed with the story, but Anais enjoyed it. Despite differences of opinions on what the story is about, the three hosts engage in spirited discussion about the well-drawn characters.
Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers.
We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.
Looking for more to read?
Click here for a full list of all short stories discussed on the podcast.
This week’s story: The Enchanted Forest by Brian Crawford
Next week’s story: The Rabbit Matchmakers by Andrew Phillips
Rated: Clean
Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “The Enchanted Forest” by Brian Crawford and have wildly different reactions to this tale of two brothers who fight forest fires. Andy and Anais were disappointed with the emotional arc of the story, even as they acknowledged the professional quality of the story that was clearly written by an expert. Gerald more thoroughly enjoyed the story and defends it valiantly.
Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers.
We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.
Looking for more to read?
Click here for a full list of all short stories discussed on the podcast.
This week’s story: The Wreck at Goat’s Head by Alexandra Manglis
Next week’s story: The Enchanted Forest by Brian Crawford
Rated: Clean
Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “The Wreck at Goat’s Head” by Alexandra Manglis, which was recommended by last our previous episode’s guest, Carina Saxon. The story captivated all three hosts with its mysterious prose, alluring magical realism, vivid imagery, and ghostly apparitions. They discuss themes of feminine power, matriarchal lines, and the tradition.
Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers.
We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.
Looking for more to read?
Click here for a full list of all short stories discussed on the podcast.
This week’s story: The Effluent Engine by N.K. Jemisin
Next week’s story: The Wreck at Goat’s Head by Alexandra Manglis
Rated: Clean
This week we welcome Carina Saxon to the podcast to discuss “The Effluent Engine” by N. K. Jemisin
Carina is a content writer. She formerly a Professor of English at Indiana University Bloomington, where she taught “The Effluent Engine” to over 100 undergraduate students. She holds a Master in Victorian Literature from Indiana University.
Carina joined Gerald, Andy and Anais to discuss N.K. Jemisin’s novella-length steampunk, historical fiction, spy thriller. Beneath the flashy and entertaining plot there are nuanced themes pertaining to racism, sexism, and freedom.
Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers.
We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.
Looking for more to read?
Click here for a full list of all short stories discussed on the podcast.
This week’s story: Enid & Floyd & the Moon by Jeanne Shoemaker
Next week’s story: The Effluent Engine by N.K. Jemisin
Rated: Clean
This week we welcome Caitlin Hamilton Summie to the podcast to discuss a story she recommends: “Enid & Floyd & the Moon” by Jeanne Shoemaker.
Author Caitlin Hamilton Summie
Caitlin is the author of the short story collection To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts. The book won the the Phillip J McMath Postpublication award from the University of Central Arkansas, and won Silver in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for Short Stories. Caitlin earned an MFA with Distinction from Colorado State University, and her short stories have been published in Beloit Fiction Journal, Wisconsin Review, Puerto del Sol, Mud Season Review, and Long Story, Short. She co-owns the book marketing firm, Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, founded in 2003. Find her online at Caitlinhamiltonsummie.com and on Twitter @csummie
Caitlin joined Gerald and Anais to discuss a charming story about an elderly couple that is still very much in love. Their life is beset by tragedy and poverty, but the two aging lovebirds stay focused on each other. The story stirred a little fear in Gerald who could perhaps identify a little bit with the characters.
Andy could not join us for this recording this week, but he recorded a two minute riff of his opinion, which is appended at the end of the episode. He also visits us in the Youtube Live comment section during recording to josh us, as is his way.
Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group The Literary Roadhouse Readers.
We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.
Looking for more to read?
Click here for a full list of all short stories discussed on the podcast.
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.
Literary Roadhouse is a literary podcast where avid readers and aspiring writers read and discuss short and long fiction.
Read deeply.