Selected Shorts: Meg Wolitzer Talks with Louise Erdrich

Date: March 19, 2026
Podcast: Selected Shorts (Symphony Space)
Host: Meg Wolitzer
Guest: Louise Erdrich

Episode Overview

In this thoughtful and engaging conversation, host Meg Wolitzer sits down with acclaimed author Louise Erdrich to discuss the origins and themes of Erdrich’s short story “The Big Cat,” the craft of writing, and the evolution of Erdrich’s literary voice. The episode explores the dynamics of family and marriage, the interplay between short stories and novels, the pleasures (and peculiarities) of listening to one's own work read by others, and Erdrich’s life as both a writer and a bookstore owner. The tone is witty, warm, and packed with insight—ideal for writers, readers, and literary enthusiasts.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Genesis of “The Big Cat” and the Theme of Home & Marriage

• [00:56] Meg Wolitzer introduces Erdrich’s story “The Big Cat,” focusing on its rich portrayal of a combusting marriage layered with nuanced family interactions.
• [01:31] Erdrich reflects on tracking a story's origin, comparing it to tracing dreams:

  “I'm not sure where they come from...Sometimes I can trace back details. It's set in Minneapolis. Some of the settings are real...And then this relationship, if you can call their everything that happens. Yeah, they're all relationships. The daughter, of course.” — Louise Erdrich (01:31)

Blending Reality and Imagination in Fiction

• [02:06] Wolitzer and Erdrich discuss the fiction writer’s “superpower” of borrowing from life and inventing:

  “You can pull things from life and things that are not from life... It's our superpower to have like a restaurant that you say is real, but a made up metallurgic symphony of snoring.” — Meg Wolitzer (02:06)

• [02:24] Erdrich muses about sound and women's presence:

  “The snoring stands in for the noise we make as women in so many ways that appalls men, appalls partners, you know, appalls people in the wider sense.” — Louise Erdrich (02:24)

• The conversation humorously explores how women's joy and presence can be unsettling to onlookers, highlighted through memorable imagery.

Hearing One’s Work Read by Others

• [03:20] Wolitzer asks about the experience of having someone else read your work aloud.
• [03:24] Erdrich responds:

  “It's strange, I suppose, but it's also very satisfying. People emphasize work in places that you wouldn't expect. And the cadence of words is different. It's satisfying.” — Louise Erdrich (03:24)

The Short Story vs. The Novel

• [03:56] Wolitzer brings up Erdrich's career-long focus on family and asks her if she feels more at home in the short story or the novel.
• [04:20] Erdrich recalls her beginnings with short stories and explains how stories sometimes grow into novels:

  “Short stories came to me in the beginning, and it's harder to write them sometimes...Everything begins as a story, but extending the story and not answering all the questions within a certain limited length...just feels so gratifying to be able to bring a reader into a world...Immerse the reader and then...now you can leave.” — Louise Erdrich (04:20)

• [05:28] On stories within novels and experimenting with narrative perspective:

  “So many of the novels that I was writing in the beginning had stories embedded within them...But it sometimes didn't have a lot of bearing on the novel. And then I started making the stories have more bearing or not using multiple narrators...At last started writing from one point of view, which was a huge breakthrough for me.” — Louise Erdrich (05:28)

The Writing Process and Practical Tips

• [06:16] The writers compare sustaining a voice in a novel to being on a long road trip with that character.

  “That person speaks...from the passenger seat or whatever. And you can listen with one ear. You feel like you're getting these messages at any time of the day.” — Louise Erdrich (06:24)

• [06:27] On the utility of index cards for capturing ideas:

  “Now I keep index cards handy because I've had daughters who buy massive quantities...So I have so many, and I keep them with me all the time.” — Louise Erdrich (06:27)

• [07:25] Erdrich’s tip: tape scraps and notes into notebooks to make them “real.”

  “My method is to always be working out of specific, dedicated notebooks...Those little bits really add up.” — Louise Erdrich (07:25)

• [08:13] Wolitzer’s novel-writing hack:

  “Change the font when you're getting tired of your character...It just perks you up.” — Meg Wolitzer (08:13)
  (Erdrich laughs and agrees.)

Dreams, Hidden Spaces, and Creativity

• [08:56] The pair discuss how stories within novels evoke the feeling of discovering new “wings” in dreams.
• [09:03] Erdrich describes recurring dreams of houses with undiscovered rooms:

  “But it's always a house...I have dreams a lot about New England houses...Do you have wings that you've never discovered in your apartment?” — Louise Erdrich (09:03)

• This metaphor is likened to the surprise of finding new creative spaces in writing.

Writing as Responsibility and Identity

• [10:00] Wolitzer asks if Erdrich feels a responsibility, having brought Native American life into the literary mainstream.
• [10:26] Erdrich’s response underscores community over individualism:

  “It's not me. It's my parents, it's my tribe, my nation, the people around me. I mean, it's everybody else who has been essential to me, who has done this.” — Louise Erdrich (10:26)

Life as a Bookstore Owner & Reading Habits

• [11:19] Wolitzer notes Erdrich’s bookstore Birch Bark Books and discusses how it might have shaped her reading.
• [11:55] Erdrich explains the impact of the store's Native mission, while also celebrating her expanding reading habits—both in Native literature and beyond:

  “I've certainly read more deeply in Native literature, history and methodologies...I'm just reading in a general way because we were a tiny place, but...We're packed literally to the rafters with all sorts of books. I read more contemporary work than I did, but I listen to more classical work than I have.” — Louise Erdrich (11:55)

• She discusses listening to classics like Balzac’s "Cousin Bet" on long walks as a way to experience books she might not otherwise "have the patience" for.

Current Projects and Looking Ahead

• [14:10] Wolitzer inquires about what Erdrich is working on:

  "I sent away the copy edited version of a manuscript that's about farming...It's called the Mighty Red and it's about the Red River." — Louise Erdrich (14:13, 15:02)

• The conversation wraps with both writers playfully confessing they barely remember their novels once finished, expressing relief and excitement about new projects.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On women's presence being loud and joyful:

  “The snoring stands in for the noise we make as women in so many ways that appalls men, appalls partners, you know, appalls people in the wider sense.” — Louise Erdrich (02:24)

• On the gratification of short stories:

  “It just feels so gratifying to be able to bring a reader into a world...Immerse the reader and then, see, now you can leave. And it really feels great.” — Louise Erdrich (04:20)

• On sustaining narrative voice:

  “I didn't think I would sustain a point of view over a novel, and when I did, I loved it. But it's very rare. I have to have a very powerful relationship with that character.” — Louise Erdrich (05:28)

• On writing hacks:

  “Change the font when you're getting tired of your character.” — Meg Wolitzer (08:13)

• On identity and literary responsibility:

  “I mean, it's everybody else who has been essential to me, who has done this.” — Louise Erdrich (10:26)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:56] Introduction to "The Big Cat" and themes of home and marriage
• [02:24] Discussion on the sound/women’s presence as symbolic in fiction
• [03:24] Experience of hearing one's work performed
• [04:20] Short story vs. novel: craft and preference
• [07:25] Writing tips (notebooks, index cards, and practical advice)
• [08:13] Changing the font as a writer's tool
• [09:03] Dreams and creativity: the metaphor of hidden spaces
• [10:26] On identity, Native American representation, and literary responsibility
• [11:55] Bookstore ownership, reading habits, and literary taste
• [14:13] Erdrich discusses her new book, “The Mighty Red”
• [15:20] Feelings post-novel and excitement about upcoming projects

Episode Tone and Takeaways

The episode is rich with humor, candor, and practical wisdom. Wolitzer and Erdrich’s mutual respect and camaraderie shine throughout as they exchange stories, advice, and writerly philosophies. Listeners come away with a deeper understanding of Erdrich’s process, the joys and complexities of literary creation, and the enduring impact of stories on both readers and writers.