Shorts.

This week, we're reading “How To Be An Other Woman” by Lorrie Moore which was first published in 1985. The story is told from the perspective of Charlene, a secretary, who has an affair with a married man. One of the most famous examples of second person narration, How to Be an Other Woman follows Charlene as she navigates her identity from carefree mistress to jealous rival. Link to Story (you need to read both parts!)

Merry Christmas and Welcome to Season 3 of Shorts! This season, we're kicking it off with our annual Christmas episode, and we're reading, "A Childs Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas. Written and recorded in 1952, this lyrical, alliterative, poem follows a boy's antics through Christmas Day. We recommend reading and listening to this poem, as Dylan's Welsh accent brings it to life.

A special Christmas episode! For the second year in a row, we're reading a Christmas classic. This year, we dive into, "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, first published in December 1905. The Gift of the Magi tells the story of the young married couple Della and Jim, and their struggle to find meaningful Christmas gifts for each other when money is tight and time is short. 

This is a bitesized edition of Shorts - special bonus episodes where we will be focusing on very short short stories (also known as flash fiction!) Today we are reading "Who am I" by Amanda Olive Amoah which was published in Flash Fiction Ghana in 2015. In this story, our narrator wakes up and discovers she doesn't know who she is. Throughout her day, she cycles through a routine marked by reminding and forgetting.

This is our very first bitesized edition of Shorts - special bonus episodes where we will be focusing on very short short stories (also known as flash fiction!) Today we are reading This Is How You Fail To Ghost Him by Victoria McCurdy, which was published in Monkeybicycle in 2017. In this story a young, dating-weary narrator goes on a first date with a man she’s met on the apps.

For this special bonus episode, Lizzie and Jen join Completely Arbortrary, a podcast that deep dives into all things TREE, to discuss The Direction of the Road by Ursula K. Le Guin. This short story is told from the perspective of a single oak tree on the Oregon State Highway, and through its gaze, we discover something about ourselves, too. Together with Completely Arbortrary co-hosts Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson we discuss the story, the tree and the extraordinary Ursula K. Le Guin.

Dear Sophie by Emma Brankin was published in X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine in July 2020. In a brief series of emails, Amy attempts to craft the perfect message to send to her friend Sophie on her wedding day. In this very modern, witty piece, we see Amy grapple with the guilt of missing her friend’s wedding day, the shame and comparison created by social media, and how to congratulate someone you care about when your own life is in shambles.

Mass Effect is the story of Eddie and Ivan, two long-term boyfriends grappling with Ivan’s sudden diagnosis of terminal brain cancer. The story begins and ends during a getaway the two take to a cabin, with Eddie’s perspective leading us through the history of their relationship, the struggles and pain, the inside jokes and play, and his powerlessness as he watches his partner deteriorate. Mass Effect was shortlisted for the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

"It Ends With A Kiss" by Riddhi Dastidar is a coming-of-age story set in a dystopian world ravaged by an unknown toxin. The story follows Kajri, a sixteen year old girl, who falls for Tara, who lives in the same "colony" as her. Through their story, we come to learn more about Kajri's family, their lives before the world changed, and begin to understand the pain, loss and fear in the society that surrounds her. The story was shortlisted for the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

This week we're reading "How To Marry An African President" by Erica Sugo Anyadike. This story follows the relationship between a secretary and the President of an unnamed African country from the beginning of their courtship. Through a second person narrative, we see their relationship develop and their power corrupt. The story was shortlisted for the 2019 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the Queen Mary Wasafiri Writing prize and the AKO Caine Prize for African writing.

Welcome to Season Two! Today we are reading, "Needs" by Karen Brown, published in the Atlantic. Set in the 1960's in the USA, "Needs" is told from the perspective of a housewife whose neighbor is mysteriously murdered one afternoon. It's a fun, dark, edge of your seat mystery with an ending that will surprise even the most seasoned reader. 

A special Christmas episode! Today we are reading the timeless festive poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas, more commonly known as 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, and comparing it with a short story based on the classic narrative, by James Thurber. Curl up with a cup of mulled wine and enjoy our musings on Santa Claus, sugarplums and the demise of the kerchief.

Link to stories: 

In our last episode of Season 1 we discuss Light by Lesley Nneka Arimah. In this story we follow a Nigerian father and daughter and explore the fragility of their bond amidst the complex reality of raising a girl today. Arimah asks us to question what expectations and limitations we put on girls and young women, and how parents fight to navigate this in the best interests of their child. This story won the 2015 Regional Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa.

This week, we are discussing Carmen Maria Machado's, "Mary When You Follow Her." This 2018 flash fiction follows Maria, a young girl navigating grief, loss, and growing up amidst the disappearance of other young women in her town. This story is breathtaking, written in a single sentence, and pushes us to think critically about whose stories are told. 

This week we are reading As The Last I May Know by S.L. Huang, the 2020 Hugo Award winner for Best Short Story. In this story, we are faced with a different reality - one in which the decision over whether to release weapons of mass destruction requires the President to kill a child with his own hand before they can order the devastation. Through this extraordinary short story, we are presented with a huge question: are the safeguards in place for our most heinous decisions strong enough? Or, whatever the cost, must we humanise the choices we make in order to save lives?

In episode 3 we discuss Passage by Kevin Jared Hosein. In this story, a man follows in the footsteps of his friend to find an adventure in the mountains of Trinidad, but what he discovers instead changes the course of many lives. Subverting the expectations of a typical hero’s journey, Passage was the winner of the 2018 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

This week we are reading and discussing “The Great Indian Tee and Snakes” by Kritika Pandey, which won the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. It tells the story of a forbidden love during a time of state sanctioned violence and oppression. Using a single perspective of one young women in her father’s tea shack, Pandey allows the reader to glimpse the larger, complex identity of India today.

In Week 1 of Shorts, we're reading and discussing "Cat Person" by Kristen Roupenian. This story went viral when the New Yorker published it in 2017, sparking controversy over its portrayal of modern dating, gender roles and consent. Read this story before you listen and reach out to us via Twitter or Instagram to let us know what you think!

This is Shorts: a new podcast where we talk about contemporary short stories. 

We’re two long distanced friends who want to talk about what we’re reading. 

We think that short stories can contain all the richness and excitement of a novel, and can show the world through different perspectives. Before each episode, we invite you to read a story and then we’ll talk about it together.

Click the link in the show notes to download our reading list and get started today!