Podcast
Short Story Today
Hosted by Jon DiSavino · EN
A biweekly podcast hosted by Jon DiSavino. It celebrates the enduring and compact literary form known as - you guessed it - the short story. But more importantly, it gives listeners an opportunity to hear the work of some of the best emerging writers of today. Episodes contain an author interview followed by a reading of a story by that author. Jon DiSavino is an actor and stage director. He's been producing and narrating audiobooks since 2019. His most recent is Abduction: Another Max Dent MD Adventure by Mark R. Belsky, set for publication in 2025.
10episodes
Episodes
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Episode 141 - A "Found Fiction" Holiday Episode
Dec 2400:25:10Tap to summarizeOur final episode of our fifth season is a special holiday episode. It's part of a continuing series we like to call "Found Fiction." We present a story first published in 1903: "The Fur Coat: The Story of a Matrimonial Difference" by Ludwig Fulda. It was discovered on Project Gutenberg in an anthology published in 1907 by P. F. Collier & Son - The third volume in a series titled Short Story Classics, which was devoted to international fiction, gathering together stories from one featured country in each book.Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 140 - Anna Monardo: AFTER ITALY: A FAMILY MEMOIR OF ARRANGED MARRIAGE
Dec 1000:55:12Tap to summarizeNebraska author Anna Monardo joins me to talk about her books After Italy: A Family Memoir of Arranged Marriage and The Courtyard of Dreams (both from Bordighera Press). She reveals the unique connection shared by these books - one CNF and the other fiction - and the writer's journey that made them both possible.https://annamonardo.com/Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 139 - Vishwas R. Gaitonde: "The Wrath of Allah"
Nov 2600:46:27Tap to summarizeAuthor Vishwas R. Gaitonde started life in India, and then made his way to England and finally the US, having lived in many states before settling in North Carolina. His short story collection On Earth As It Is In Heaven won the 2023 Orison Prize for fiction, and was published by Orison Books in 2025. We read "The Wrath of Allah," a story from On Earth As It Is In Heaven that was first published in The MacGuffin.https://www.vishwasgaitonde.com/Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 138 - Ian Forth: "Every Little Thing Gonna Be Alright"
Nov 1200:52:12Tap to summarizeAuthor Ian Forth divides his time between Bordeaux, France and Wales. His debut story collection Hazlitt and the Mobility Scooter (Hard Travelling Books) was released this year. He's also a memoirist, with two published titles: Water Under the Bridge: Recollections from an Only Life, and Canal Conversations: Cycling on the Canal des Deux Mers. We read "Every Little Thing Gonna Be Alright," which was first published in Syncopation Literary Journal.Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 137 - Michael Hopkins: "Foreclosure"
Oct 2900:59:41Tap to summarizeWisconsin author Michael Hopkins is an award-winning writer whose debut collection Never Stop Exiting (Cornerstone Press) was released this year. It has been called "stealthily complex and persistently compassionate" by Phong Nguyen, author of Bronze Drum. We read "Foreclosure," a story from the collection. https://www.michaelhopkinswriter.com/Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 136 - Lauren D. Woods: "Clementine"
Oct 1501:05:48Tap to summarizeWashington DC author Lauren D. Woods discusses her debut collection The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe, winner of the 2024 Autumn House Fiction Prize, with her husband and SST alum Andrew Bertaina (Ep. 10). We read her story "Clementine," which was first published in The Antioch Review.Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 135 - David Haynes: "That's Right, You're Not From Texas"
Oct 101:06:25Tap to summarizeMissouri author David Haynes's long-awaited debut story collection Martha's Daughter has finally arrived after seven novels and five books for young readers. It is the sixth volume in McSweeney's OF THE DIASPORA series. SST alum Stanley Stocker (Ep. 42) interviews David about his life and work, and we read "That's Right, You're Not From Texas," which was first published in the anthology The Story Behind the Story: 26 Stories by Contemporary Writers and How They Work (W. W. Norton).https://hayneswrites.com/Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 134 - Lisa Alvarez: "Manuel"
Sep 1701:09:31Tap to summarizeIn her debut collection Some Final Beauty and Other Stories (University of Nevada Press), California author Lisa Alvarez writes about her home town of Los Angeles with deep affection. These compelling stories chronicle lives that are indelibly affected by pivotal moments in the history of the city and of the world beyond, honoring the courageous people who chose to fight for peace, justice and civil rights.https://www.lisaalvarez.com/Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 133 - Olajide Omojarabi: "Messenger Meg"
Sep 301:02:12Tap to summarizeNigerian author Olajide Omojarabi discusses his story "Messenger Meg," which was published in the Ploughshares Summer 2025 issue. The interview is conducted by fellow writer Daniel Dykiel. Olajide reads "Messenger Meg" in the episode.Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 132 - Veena Gokhale: Annapurna's Bounty
Jul 2300:44:54Tap to summarizeMontreal author Veena Gokhale's new collection, Annapurna's Bounty: Indian Food Legends Retold (Dundurn Press), is a literary smorgasbord. It's a potent brew of folk tales, myths and legends taken from India's rich tapestry of oral and written history, re-imagined for modern readers. But the best surprise is the inclusion of recipes for the individual dishes at the heart of every story. https://www.veenago.com/Support the show
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