Podcasts

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

The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away | Bushra al-Fadil | Literary Roadhouse Ep 108

March 21, 2018 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 0:30:46 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away

Find this week’s story here: The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away by Bushra al-Fadil.

Next week’s story: Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs

Rated: Clean

Maya, Gerald, Rammy and Anais analyze The Caine Prize for African Writing winner “The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away” by Bushra al-Fadil. Is a short story like a poem? Or a piece of art? Maya thinks it is, and she challenges Gerald to define a story. Gerald thought there wasn’t enough story, and too much chewy narrative, which is what Anais appreciated, though she had to let go of the question “why” several times. Rammy enjoyed the story, in particular the stunning visual metaphors.

You may also listen to audio versions of this story in English and Arabic on The Caine Prize website: caineprize.com/the-winner

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or on our Facebook page.

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 Wig | Han Dong | Literary Roadhouse Ep 107

March 14, 2018 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 0:27:45 2 Comments

Discussion Notes: The Wig

Find this week’s story here: The Wig by Han Dong.

Next week’s story: The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away by Bushra al-Fadil.

Rated: Explicit

The Literary Roadhouse hosts, minus Rammy, discuss The Wig by Han Dong. Maya loved the story, and got a lot out of what it says about our obsession with presentation. However, despite her best efforts, she couldn’t convince Gerald to love it too. Meanwhile, Anais really enjoyed the visuals, and other aspects which were enhanced by an interview with the author which she discusses on the show. For aspiring writers, pay attention to how the author introduces and draws a character that would unlikable in less deft hands.

Finally, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the game is about…wigs!

Did we miss a crucial piece of this story? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or on our Facebook page.

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.

The Association of Small Bombs | Karan Mahajan | Literary Roadhouse Bookclub Ep 13

March 9, 2018 Anais Concepcion Monthly Bookclub 0:51:55 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: The Association of Small Bombs

Next month’s novel: Swing Time by Zadie Smith

Rated: Explicit themes and language

The Literary Roadhouse Bookclub is back after a (year) long hiatus! And we’ve made some behind the scenes staff and systems changes to return to a regular monthly schedule. We missed you, and hope you let your friends know the bookclub is back on.

If you missed us and want to help us thrive, consider contributing to our expenses at patreon.com/literaryroadhouse.

On today’s show, Anais, Gerald, and Tamara discuss Karan Mahajan’s sophomore novel The Association of Small Bombs, a gritty story that explores the character of terrorism in India. At first, our hosts struggle to piece together this fragmented story structure, but slowly, through deep discussion and analysis, begin to understand the clever theme and lessons embedded in the narrative. Along the way, they find a new appreciation for Mahajan’s celebrated novel.

We’d like to hear from you

Did we miss something? Let us know what you think of the novel in the comment section below. Or, if you prefer, leave a voicemail by clicking on the feature to the right. By the way, we may play your voicemail on our next show, so tell us if you would prefer we did not.

Please leave an iTunes review! It helps us attract a wider audience and keep growing.

We (try to) air the first Friday of every month, and discuss the books on Twitter between shows using #LRHBookclub.

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

Measures of Time | Andrea Eberly | Literary Roadhouse Ep 106

March 7, 2018 Anais Concepcion Weekly Short Stories 00:39:07 2 Comments

Discussion Notes: Measures of Times

Find this week’s story here: Measures of Time by Andrea Eberly.

Next week’s story: The Wig by Han Dong.

Rated: Clean

Kristy Lin Biluni

Kristy Lin Biluni The Sexy Grammarian: sexygrammar.com

On today’s podcast, we welcome a special guest: Kristy Lin Billuni, aka The Sexy Grammarian. Kristy is a writer and teacher who has been helping authors find their voice since 2003. You can learn more about Kristy at sexygrammar.com

Patreon bonus! Anais interviewed Kristy just for our Patreon subscribers! Subscribe to hear Kristy talk about her process, how to silence the inner critic, how to define your goals, and experiment in your journey to achieve them.

As for today’s story, Kristy loved Measures of Times, while Gerald liked it, but didn’t say much. Rammy liked it, and as a bonus, gave us a potted history of Adidas. Trust us, it works. On the critical side, Maya felt disconnected from the main character, and Anais felt the literary devices were too naked for her taste. Don’t worry, she did have fun in the quiz trying to work out how long it would take to watch all the episodes of Breaking Bad.

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.

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.

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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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