Selected Shorts Episode Summary: "The Price of Admission"

Release Date: March 27, 2025
Host: Meg Wolitzer
Performed by: Melora Hardin and Rita Wolf
Production: Symphony Space

Introduction

In the episode titled "The Price of Admission," host Meg Wolitzer delves into the intricate dynamics of club membership, exploring themes of belonging, initiation, responsibility, and the sacrifices made to remain part of a collective. Wolitzer sets the stage by comparing various types of social groups—ranging from book clubs and vampire covens to casual coffee cliques and fantasy football leagues—to the innate human instinct to form connections and communities.

Meg Wolitzer [00:34]: "Most of us belong to some kind of collective... Who knows? We may not need to hunt in a pack or huddle together for warmth. But this urge to form cliques is an instinct we share with a lot of other animals."

Wolitzer outlines the common elements of social pods: initiation periods, responsibilities or dues (even if trivial), and established rules—both spoken and unspoken—that govern membership.

Story 1: "Summer Reading List" by Meg Wolitzer

Performer: Melora Hardin
Timestamp: [00:34 – 22:13]

Summary

Melora Hardin brings to life Wolitzer's own short story, "Summer Reading List," which paints a nostalgic and introspective look at childhood summer reading clubs. The narrative centers around a group of 12-year-olds committed to a library's Summer Reading Club, where their primary goal is to read at least ten books over the summer. The story reflects on the transformative power of summer and reading, highlighting both the camaraderie and the pressures within the club.

Key Themes and Insights

• Initiation and Achievement: The story emphasizes the challenge of meeting the club's reading quota, portraying it as a measure of worth within the group.

  Melora Hardin [04:26]: "We say the number with true disdain. 10 is nothing. 10 is what we will have ripped through before the first week in July."

• Nostalgia and Growth: The protagonist reminisces about past summers, illustrating how time and maturity change one's relationship with such groups.

  Melora Hardin [07:15]: "Summer reading has a leisurely reputation... The act of reading has historically been considered a privilege."

• Isolation and Comparison: As adults, the narrator reflects on her diminished enthusiasm for reading compared to her younger self, leading to feelings of inadequacy.

  Melora Hardin [21:30]: "Five books. Not 18, not 15, not even 10. If these 12 year olds looked back at me, they would most likely curl their lips in disdain."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On the Magical Nature of Reading:

  Melora Hardin [05:00]: "There is something magical about the amount of books we've read, something nearly miraculous about the sudden veracity that's been implanted in each of us."

• On Changing Perspectives:

  Melora Hardin [19:45]: "Only later would they discover that the quality of a summer spent with books depends finally on the particular books one has selected."

Host's Reflection on Story 1

Meg Wolitzer [22:13]: "Listening to this story now, I could probably finish some of the lines, more or less the writer herself... If I saw her across the expanse of a public library on a summer afternoon, I would recognize her immediately."

Wolitzer draws parallels between the fictional summer reading club and real-life relationships, suggesting that both evolve over time and can be outgrown as individuals change. She humorously touches on the constancy of personal growth despite changing social affiliations.

Story 2: "Viola in Midwinter" by Marie Helene Bertino

Performer: Rita Wolf
Timestamp: [25:43 – 56:25]

Summary

Rita Wolf presents "Viola in Midwinter," a haunting tale of immortality and the complexities of eternal belonging. Set in the perpetual cycles of day and night, the story follows Viola, a 49-year-old woman who remains ageless, navigating relationships and the supernatural demands of her existence. The narrative intertwines themes of love, isolation, and the burdens of immortality within a vampiric framework, portraying Viola's struggle to maintain her humanity while being bound to eternal routines and social obligations.

Key Themes and Insights

• Immortality and Isolation: Viola's eternal life isolates her from the natural progression of human relationships and time, fostering a sense of detachment and longing.

  Rita Wolf [30:50]: "If we don't read, then certainly we are left without many qualities. Summer remains summer, blank and hot..."

• Belonging and Sacrifice: The vampiric coven operates with strict rules and expectations, mirroring the initiation and dues of earthly clubs but with darker consequences.

  Rita Wolf [45:10]: "Violet's body seemed newly valued. Men's gazes... lingered on hers."

• Transformation and Identity: Viola's interactions over the years illustrate her evolving identity as she grapples with her perpetual existence and the relationships that come and go.

  Rita Wolf [52:30]: "She longed for her chin to sag. Any indication that she was still alive."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On the Nature of Summer Reading as Privilege:

  Melora Hardin [07:15]: "The act of reading has historically been considered a privilege, and summer reading is privilege."

• On Feeling Forgotten:

  Rita Wolf [48:00]: "But she worried that instead of being freed, she'd been forgotten."

• On Love and Longevity:

  Rita Wolf [50:25]: "New love makes joining someone at work seem fun."

Host's Reflection on Story 2

Rita Wolf [56:25]: "Vampirism is a very exclusive and particular kind of club... This story swept me up not only for its menacing atmosphere and next level writing, but also for its focus on the theme of supposed female invisibility in midlife, which I have never heard rendered this way."

Wolf connects the vampiric elements of "Viola in Midwinter" to the overarching theme of exclusive clubs, emphasizing the parallel between supernatural societies and human social groups. She highlights the exploration of female invisibility and the unique portrayal of midlife struggles within the narrative.

Conclusion

Meg Wolitzer wraps up the episode by reflecting on the duality of the stories presented, noting that while one delves into the nostalgic confines of a summer reading club, the other explores the eternal bindings of a vampiric coven. Both narratives underscore the themes of love, belonging, and the personal costs associated with maintaining one's place within a group.

Meg Wolitzer [56:25]: "The love that brought me to that like-minded clique of eager readers is one that sustains me today, whether or not I ever finish."

Wolitzer expresses a personal connection to the stories, drawing parallels between fictional clubs and real-life relationships, ultimately conveying that while the structures may change, the underlying human emotions and needs remain constant.

Production Credits

• Produced by: Jennifer Brennan and Sarah Montague
• Performed by: Melora Hardin and Rita Wolf
• Supporting Team: Matthew Love, Drew Richardson, Mary Shimkin, Vivienne Woodward, Magdalene Rplesky
• Recorded by: Myles B. Smith and Phil Richards
• Mix Engineer: Joe Plourd
• Theme Music: David Peterson's "That's the Deal," performed by the Deardorf Petersen Group
• Support: Dungannon Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts

Note: This summary encapsulates the essence of the "The Price of Admission" episode, providing insights into the stories and thematic discussions without delving into promotional content or non-essential segments.