Weekly Short Stories

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

Ep 199: The Great Indian Tee and Snakes

Discussion Notes: The Great Indian Tee and Snakes

This week’s story: The Great Indian Tee and Snakes by Kritika Pandey 

Next week’s story: Callme and Mink by Brenda Cooper 

Rated: Clean

Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “The Great Indian Tee and Snakes” by Kritika Pandey. The story divided our hosts, with Gerald and Anais loving the story and Andy wanting a little more emotional contouring. Nonetheless, the story prompted a lengthy and deep discussion, and forced our hosts to study the current political landscape in India more closely. That’s always a win.

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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.

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Ep 198: Rough Deeds

Discussion Notes: Rough Deeds

This week’s story: Rough Deeds by Annie Proulx 

Next week’s story: The Great Indian Tee and Snakes by Kritika Pandey 

Rated: Clean

Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “Rough Deeds” by Annie Proulx, a vivid story about mafioso lumbermen in 1712’s New France. Proulx’s prose and plot captivates all three hosts who are positively giddy as they discuss this dark tale of a man’s greed and pride.

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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.

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Ep 197: Flashlight

Discussion Notes: Flashlight

This week’s story: Flashlight by Susan Choi 

Next week’s story: Rough Deeds by Annie Proulx 

Rated: Clean

Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “Flashlight” by Susan Choi, a richly layered story of a girl haunted by the early death of her father, resentful of her mother’s illness, and longing for an adult to identify and provide what she needs. The simple short story provides plenty of fat to chew on, and all three hosts dig in to the plot, characterization, motifs, and clues.

Have thoughts on 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.

 

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Ep 196: Sweet Scoundrel

Discussion Notes: Sweet Scoundrel

This week’s story: Sweet Scoundrel by Diana Xin

Next week’s story: Flashlight by Susan Choi

Rated: Clean

Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “Sweet Scoundrel” by Diana Xin, a slyly written story of a mistress, a pregnancy, a would-be older sister, and a marriage that straddles cultures and countries. Right from the start, our hosts dig deep into the character and plot because this story provides plenty of fat to chew on.

Have thoughts on 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.

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Ep 195: The Library of Babel

Discussion Notes: The Library of Babel

This week’s story: The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges 

Next week’s story: Sweet Scoundrel by Diana Xin 

Rated: Clean

Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss the classic short story “The Library of Babel” by Jorge Luis Borges. In it, Borges imagines a universe in the form of a regimented library that contains all possible books of a certain format and character set. 

Have thoughts on 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.

 

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Ep 194: Silverfish by Christina Perez Brubaker

Discussion Notes: Silverfish

This week’s story: Silverfish by Christina Perez Brubaker 

Next week’s story: The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges 

Rated: Explicit

Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “Silverfish” by Christina Perez Brubaker, a story of a failing marriage between two flawed characters. It delights in its examination of the petty things unhappy and flawed people can do, and the private machinations of marital subterfuge.

Have thoughts on 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.

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We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.

Ep 193: Suffering in Motion by McKenna Marsden

Discussion Notes: Suffering in Motion

This week’s story: Suffering in Motion by McKenna Marsden 

Next week’s story: Silverfish by Christina Perez Brubaker 

Rated: Clean

Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “Suffering in Motion” by McKenna Marsden, a story of gender identity, transition and relationships centered around a  passionate marathon runner. 

Have thoughts on 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.

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We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.

Ep 192: Chemical Bonds by Neema Avashia

Discussion Notes: Chemical Bonds

This week’s story: Chemical Bonds by Neema Avashia 

Next week’s story: Suffering in Motion by McKenna Marsden 

Rated: Clean

Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “Chemical Bonds” by Neema Avashia, an auto-biographical story about the political divide between immigrant parents and their American-born daughter. While this podcast typically focuses on fiction, reading non-fiction was a happy accident. A bit of a departure from our normal show, “Chemical Bonds” sparked an interesting discussion that led Anais and Andy to reflect on their own immigrant families. 

Have thoughts on 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.

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Ep 191: Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey by Haruki Murakami

Discussion Notes: The Rabbit Matchmakers

This week’s story: Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey by Haruki Murakami 

Next week’s story: Chemical Bonds by Neema Avashia 

Rated: Clean

Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey” by Haruki Murakami, a story of talking monkey who works an honest job and pines for lost loves from afar. If you’re looking for meaning, listen to this podcast to relieve yourself of such a weighty burden! This story is light, charming, and a wonderful break from the heavy-hearted and forlorn.

Have thoughts on 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.

Support us on Patreon

We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.

Ep 190: Agashi by AC Koch

Discussion Notes: Agashi

This week’s story: Agashi by AC Koch 

Next week’s story: Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey by Haruki Murakami 

Rated: Adult Themes, Clean Language

Gerald, Andy and Anais discuss “Agahsi” by AC Koch, a story two ex-pat English teachers in Hong Kong sent to South Korea by their boss. Their mission carries questionable morals, and the two men have very different responses.  Our hosts also have very different responses to the story, and debate the ethics and story alike.

Have thoughts on 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.

 

Support us on Patreon

We are an indie podcast dependent on contributions from listeners like you. You decide how much to give and every bit helps.