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Artwork for Selected Shorts

Selected Shorts

Symphony Space
Short Stories
Selected Shorts
Ray Bradbury
Neil Gaiman
Supernatural
Daniel Lavery
Parenting
Covid-19 Pandemic
Fatherhood
Community Gatherings
Government Bureaucracy
Satire
Family Reunions
Changeling
Queer Identity
Dance Movies
New York City
Fantasy Literature
Writing
Identity

Our greatest actors transport us through the magic of fiction, one short story at a time. Sometimes funny. Always moving. Selected Shorts connects you to the world with a rich diversity of voices from literature, film, theater, and comedy. New episodes every Thursday, from Symphony Space.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes35Founded19 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ArtsBooksFiction

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Artwork for Selected Shorts

Latest Episodes

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two works with unusual family dynamics. In Zadie Smith’s “Grand Union,” the mother-daughter bond transcends death and brings with it a whole family history. The reader is Kaneza Schaal. And Richard Bausch’s “What Feels Like... more

Host Meg Wolitzer presents the Explain Like I'm 5 podcast, a show that takes the questions you always wanted to ask and talks about them in a way that is easy to understand. Some times we want simple answers to complex questions! We here at Selected ... more

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three works about scaling the outsized real world down to manageable proportions.  A couple brings the Papal seat home in Ben Loory’s “The Vatican,” read by Santino Fontana; In “I Love Betty,” by Kaitlyn Greenidge, communic... more

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three works that crossed the boundaries between fiction and film for our collaboration with this prestigious New York film Festival. An eerie game has unexpected consequences in Richard Matheson’s “Button, Button,” performe... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Nathan Hinton
Reader for Kaitlyn Greenidge's I Love Betty
Theater/Stage Acting
Episode: Remakes and Replicas
Maggie Siff
Reader for Shirley Jackson's The Beautiful Stranger
Television/Stage Acting
Episode: Remakes and Replicas
Andrea Martin
Performer, reading The Wisdom of Eve
Actor
Episode: Selected Shorts Goes to the Movies with the Tribeca Film Festival
Celeste Ng
Guest editor for 2025 Best American Short Stories edition
Celeste Ng (author)
Episode: Best American Short Stories
Julian Robles
Author of Third Room
The Drift, Washington Square Review (as earlier work)
Episode: Best American Short Stories
Louise Erdrich
Author featured in two readings and interview
Author (Love Medicine, The Round House)
Episode: Homewreckers
Meg Wolitzer
Author; long-form fiction and short stories discussions; featured guest
Author
Episode: Meg Wolitzer Talks with Louise Erdrich
Elizabeth Reaser
Reader for The Leap by Louise Erdrich
Reader for Selected Shorts
Episode: Reality Checks
Denis O'Hare
Reader for Death and the Lady and In Dreams Begin Responsibilities
Actor
Episode: Reality Checks

Host

Meg Wolitzer
Host and author, providing insights into the stories and engaging with the themes presented in the narratives, with a strong writing background that enriches the listener's experience.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 3.4k ratings
  • Nothing good left here

    The selection of stories use to be monumentally better.

    It's hard to come across a story that is not cringy overperformed by the reader.

    Gone are the good old days of this podcast. Farewell, good friend.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    goodpodclub
    United Statesa month ago
  • Short Changing Listeners

    I used to listen to this podcast faithfully every week and then I’d listen to them again but not anymore. There are people out here who have an attention span of more than 7 minutes. We actually listened to the entire podcast when it was an hour long! Not anymore. You gave up quality for quantity. You lost this faithful listener. How many more did you gain?

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    ApperUzr
    United States3 months ago
  • I was around at the birth of Selected Shorts

    I went to hear Selected Shorts in the mid-1980s at the original Symphony Space before the theater was renovated and renamed. I loved hearing the stories in person, read by wonderful actors and introduced by Isaiah Sheffer. It was exciting but low key. I moved to California in 1987 and have not been able to make another trip to Symphony Space. Just wanted to say I loved it, loved being in the "delivery room" when Selected Shorts was born. I never heard a story I didn't love. I'm afraid it's... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    CuteLouise
    United States4 months ago
  • Disappointed

    I was a huge fan of the original Selected Shorts and was thrilled to discover the new podcast. Sadly, this edition of SS is a huge disappointment. As many reviews have pointed out, the host talks too much and most of the readers/actors are over doing it. As someone else mentioned, these are short stories, not monologues or scripts.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    sfcarlt
    United States5 months ago
  • Look forward to episodes each week

    Sometimes it is amazing that these stories are free. You can also find older episodes on their website

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lofihiphop123
    United States5 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many listeners appreciate the variety of stories and the talented narrators who bring them to life.
Overall, listeners enjoy the thematic depth of the content but occasionally criticize the pacing and presentation of the stories.
There are mixed feelings about the current hosting style, with some expressing a desire for less commentary from the host and a return to straightforward story readings.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#7
United States/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#22
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#19
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#50
Canada/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#100
United Kingdom/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#30
Australia/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Homewreckers
Q: Do you feel like more of a short story writer or a novelist or do you not think that way?
Erdrich explains that she writes with a strong sense of narrative voice and point of view, often starting with a story-like impulse but evolving toward longer forms; she values the craft of shaping a perspective over whether a work is a story or a novel.
Meg Wolitzer Talks with Louise Erdrich
Q: Do you feel in your heart or guts what your next project is meant to be, and how does that influence your choice between a short story and a novel?
Both writers describe how intuition guides them: stories often begin with a wave of emotion, and eventually expand into longer forms when the story demands more space, making the decision between short story and novel a fluid, consciously evolved process.
To the Rescue
Q: Where did the concept for 'Animal Hospital' come from?
Joe Meno explains that his own experiences alongside conversations with his young children about death inspired the story and informed how children grapple with the idea of mortality through play.
The Role You Were Born to Play
Q: Are you drawing on any personal experience?
Yes, I have a half-sister who is much older than me, which gives me a mix of experiences between being an only child and having a sibling.
The Role You Were Born to Play
Q: How do you feel the story exemplifies the theme of sibling rivalry?
The story showcases the complexities of sibling relationships, mixing humor with disturbing elements that resonate with shared experiences and perceptions.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Selected Shorts

What is Selected Shorts about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Focusing on the intersection of storytelling and performance, this podcast features prominent actors bringing short stories to life. Each episode is carefully curated, showcasing a range of narratives that highlight complex emotions, societal reflections, and the intricacies of human experience. Through its diverse selection of tales—from contemporary fiction to classical literature—listeners are invited to explore themes such as identity, friendship, and personal growth, often accompanied by insightful discussions from the host.

Where can I find podcast stats for Selected Shorts?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Selected Shorts. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Selected Shorts and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Selected Shorts get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Selected Shorts, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Selected Shorts?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Selected Shorts, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Selected Shorts have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Selected Shorts has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Selected Shorts?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Selected Shorts:

1. The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker
2. The New Yorker: Fiction
3. The Moth
4. Snap Judgment
5. This American Life

How many episodes of Selected Shorts are there?

Selected Shorts launched 19 years ago and published 35 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Selected Shorts?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Selected Shorts?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Selected Shorts from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Selected Shorts?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Selected Shorts. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Selected Shorts?

Recent guests on Selected Shorts include:

1. Nathan Hinton
2. Maggie Siff
3. Andrea Martin
4. Celeste Ng
5. Julian Robles
6. Louise Erdrich
7. Meg Wolitzer
8. Elizabeth Reaser

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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