Episode 43: Jim Phelan & Stefan Iversen — OpenAI’s “AI, Metafiction, and Grief”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Stefan Iversen discuss a story generated by artificial intelligence; more specifically, the story comes from the system operated by OpenAI, in response to the prompt: “please write a metafictional literary short story about AI and grief.” Stefan Iversen is Associate Professor in the School… Continue reading Episode 43: Jim Phelan & Stefan Iversen — OpenAI’s “AI, Metafiction, and Grief”

Episode 42: Jim Phelan and Daniel Punday — Charles Yu’s “Problems for Self-Study”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Daniel Punday discuss Charles Yu’s 2020 short story, “Problems of Self-Study,” which you can access here to read along with the podcast. Daniel Punday is Professor of English at Mississippi State University, where he specializes in contemporary American literature, digital media, and literary theory,… Continue reading Episode 42: Jim Phelan and Daniel Punday — Charles Yu’s “Problems for Self-Study”

Episode 41: Jim Phelan & David Richter — Katherine Anne Porter’s “Theft”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and David Richter discuss Katherine Anne Porter’s short story “Theft,” originally published in 1929 and republished in 1935. David Richter is Professor Emeritus at Queens College of the City University of New York and at the CUNY Graduate Center. Richter is an expert on The… Continue reading Episode 41: Jim Phelan & David Richter — Katherine Anne Porter’s “Theft”

Episode 40: Jim Phelan & Robert Caserio — Elizabeth Bowen’s “I Hear You Say So”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Robert Caserio discuss Elizabeth Bowen’s 1945 short story, “I Hear You Say So.” Robert Caserio is Professor Emeritus of English, Comparative Studies, and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies at Penn State University. Caserio has multiple areas of expertise, but perhaps most relevant for this… Continue reading Episode 40: Jim Phelan & Robert Caserio — Elizabeth Bowen’s “I Hear You Say So”

Episode 39: Jim Phelan & Eyal Segal — Sholem Aleichem’s “Baranovich Station”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Eyal Segal discuss Sholem Aleichem’s short story, “Baranovich Station.” Eyal Segal is an independent scholar based in Tel Aviv. He has published articles on narrative closure, beginnings and endings, temporal experimentation in narrative, narration in the modernist novel, the poetics of Kafka, and on… Continue reading Episode 39: Jim Phelan & Eyal Segal — Sholem Aleichem’s “Baranovich Station”

Episode 38: Jim Phelan & Amy Elias — Lemony Snicket’s “The Lump of Coal”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Amy Elias discuss Lemony Snicket’s 2004 short story, “The Lump of Coal.” Amy Elias teaches and writes at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she holds the title of UT Chancellor’s Professor and Distinguished Professor of English. Elias is also the director of UT’s… Continue reading Episode 38: Jim Phelan & Amy Elias — Lemony Snicket’s “The Lump of Coal”

Episode 37: Jim Phelan & Aaron Oforlea — James Baldwin’s “Going to Meet the Man”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Aaron Oforlea discuss James Baldwin’s “Going to Meet the Man,” published in Baldwin’s 1965 short story collection of the same title. Aaron Oforlea is an Associate Professor of English at Washington State University and is an alumnus of the Ohio State University. Oforlea has… Continue reading Episode 37: Jim Phelan & Aaron Oforlea — James Baldwin’s “Going to Meet the Man”

Episode 36: Jim Phelan & Suzanne Keen — John Cheever’s “The Death of Justina”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Suzanne Keen discuss John Cheever’s 1960 short story, “The Death of Justina.” Suzanne Keen is a Professor of English at Scripps College in Claremont, California. Keen wrote the book on narrative empathy, Empathy in the Novel, which came out in 2007 and opened up… Continue reading Episode 36: Jim Phelan & Suzanne Keen — John Cheever’s “The Death of Justina”

Episode 35: Jim Phelan & Christopher González — Junot Díaz’s “The Books of Losing You”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Christopher González discuss Junot Díaz’s 2024 flash fiction, “The Books of Losing You.” Christopher González is a graduate of The Ohio State University. He is Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Department of English at Southern Methodist University, and González has also… Continue reading Episode 35: Jim Phelan & Christopher González — Junot Díaz’s “The Books of Losing You”

Episode 34: Jim Phelan & Dorothee Birke — Ali Smith’s “Text for the Day”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Dorothee Birke discuss Ali Smith’s short story, “Text for the Day,” from her 1995 collection, Free Love and Other Stories. Dorothee Birke is professor for Anglophone Literatures at the University of Innsbruck, and her many areas of expertise include the history of the novel,… Continue reading Episode 34: Jim Phelan & Dorothee Birke — Ali Smith’s “Text for the Day”

Episode 33: Jim Phelan & Brian McAllister — Juliana Spahr’s “Gentle Now Don’t Add to Heartache”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Brian McAllister discuss Juliana Spahr’s 2005 poem, “Gentle Now Don’t Add to Heartache.” Brian McAllister is Assistant Professor of English at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. McAllister’s areas of expertise include modern and contemporary literature, poetry studies, environmental literature,… Continue reading Episode 33: Jim Phelan & Brian McAllister — Juliana Spahr’s “Gentle Now Don’t Add to Heartache”

Episode 32: Jim Phelan & Daphna Erdinast-Vulcan — Katherine Mansfield’s “The Fly”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Daphna Edrinast-Vulcan discuss Katherine Mansfield’s 1922 short story, “The Fly.” Daphna Erdinast-Vulcan is Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Haifa. Her main areas of scholarly interest are modernism and the modernist novel, Joseph Conrad, Mikhail Bakhtin, philosophy and literature, ethnography… Continue reading Episode 32: Jim Phelan & Daphna Erdinast-Vulcan — Katherine Mansfield’s “The Fly”

Episode 31: Jim Phelan & Jakob Lothe — Nadine Gordimer’s “Is There Nowhere Else We Can Meet?”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Jakob Lothe discuss Nadine Gordimer’s short story, “Is There Nowhere Else We Can Meet?” Jakob Lothe is Professor of English Emeritus at the University of Oslo, where he taught from 1993 to 2020. Some of Lothe’s publications include Conrad’s Narrative Method, Narrative in Fiction… Continue reading Episode 31: Jim Phelan & Jakob Lothe — Nadine Gordimer’s “Is There Nowhere Else We Can Meet?”

Episode 30: Jim Phelan & Brian Richardson — Ilse Aichinger’s “Mirror Story”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Brian Richardson discuss Ilse Aichinger’s short story, “Spiegelgeschichte,” translated to English as “Mirror Story,” originally published in German in Austria in 1949. Brian Richardson is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Maryland. Richardson has long been a stalwart member of… Continue reading Episode 30: Jim Phelan & Brian Richardson — Ilse Aichinger’s “Mirror Story”

Episode 29: Jim Phelan & Dorothy Hale — Chapter I of Henry James’s The Ambassadors

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Dorothy Hale discuss the first chapter of Henry James’s The Ambassadors, which was published as a novel in September 1903 after its previous appearance as a serial narrative in the North American Review. Dorothy Hale is a professor in the graduate school at the… Continue reading Episode 29: Jim Phelan & Dorothy Hale — Chapter I of Henry James’s The Ambassadors

Episode 28: Jim Phelan & Matt Seybold — Chapter XVIII of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn

In this special crossover episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Matt Seybold, executive producer and host of The American Vandal Podcast, discuss chapter eighteen of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Matt Seybold is Associate Professor of American Literature & Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, as well as Resident Scholar at the Center For… Continue reading Episode 28: Jim Phelan & Matt Seybold — Chapter XVIII of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn

Episode 27: Jim Phelan & Sarah Copland — Bernardine Evaristo’s “ohtakemehomelord.com”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Sarah Copland discuss Bernardine Evaristo’s 2005 short story, “ohtakemehomelord.com.” Sarah Copland is Associate Professor of English at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada and a former Visiting Scholar at Project Narrative. Copland works on literary modernism and on narrative theory, with particular attention to rhetorical… Continue reading Episode 27: Jim Phelan & Sarah Copland — Bernardine Evaristo’s “ohtakemehomelord.com”

Episode 26: Jim Phelan & Lindsay Holmgren — Ursula Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Lindsay Holmgren discuss Ursula Le Guin’s 1973 short story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” Lindsay Holmgren is an Associate Professor in the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University, where she also directs the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity. Holmgren… Continue reading Episode 26: Jim Phelan & Lindsay Holmgren — Ursula Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”

Episode 25: Jim Phelan & Rita Charon — George Saunders’ “Puppy”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Rita Charon discuss George Saunders’ short story, “Puppy.” Rita Charon is Bernard Schoenberg Professor of Social Medicine and Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics at Columbia University. Charon also inaugurated and teaches in the Master of Science in… Continue reading Episode 25: Jim Phelan & Rita Charon — George Saunders’ “Puppy”

Episode 24: Jim Phelan & Henrik Zetterberg-Nielsen — Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Henrik Zetterberg-Nielsen discuss Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Henrik Zetterberg-Nielsen is Professor of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University in Denmark. Zetterberg-Nielsen has published widely in both Danish and English and has made his mark in numerous sub-fields of narrative theory,… Continue reading Episode 24: Jim Phelan & Henrik Zetterberg-Nielsen — Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”

Episode 23: Jim Phelan & Susan Lanser — Sayed Kashua’s “Herzl Disappears at Midnight”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Susan Lanser discuss Sayed Kashua’s 2005 short story, “Herzl Disappears at Midnight.” Susan Lanser is Professor Emerita in three departments at Brandeis University: English; Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies; and Comparative Literature. Lanser has done groundbreaking and influential work in multiple fields: narrative theory… Continue reading Episode 23: Jim Phelan & Susan Lanser — Sayed Kashua’s “Herzl Disappears at Midnight”

Episode 22: Jim Phelan & Erin James — Rachel Carson’s “A Fable for Tomorrow” from Silent Spring

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Erin James discuss the opening chapter of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, “A Fable for Tomorrow.” Erin James is a Professor of English at the University of Idaho and is the current Past President of the International Society for the Study of Narrative. James has… Continue reading Episode 22: Jim Phelan & Erin James — Rachel Carson’s “A Fable for Tomorrow” from Silent Spring

Episode 21: Jim Phelan & Yoon Sun Lee — Excerpt from Maxine Hong Kingston’s “No Name Woman”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Yoon Sun Lee discuss the opening narrative from The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston. Yoon Sun Lee is the Anne Pierce Rogers Professor in American Literature and Chair of the English Department at Wellesley College. Lee is… Continue reading Episode 21: Jim Phelan & Yoon Sun Lee — Excerpt from Maxine Hong Kingston’s “No Name Woman”

Episode 20: Jim Phelan & Paul Dawson — The Proliferation of the Term Narrative in Public Discourse

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Paul Dawson discuss the proliferation of the term “narrative” in public discourse. Paul Dawson is an Associate Professor in the School of the Arts and Media at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Dawson currently serves as President of the International… Continue reading Episode 20: Jim Phelan & Paul Dawson — The Proliferation of the Term Narrative in Public Discourse

Episode 19: Jim Phelan & Marco Caracciolo — Charles Yu’s “Systems”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Marco Caracciolo discuss Charles Yu’s 2020 short story, “Systems,” which was commissioned by the New York Times for the collection, The Decameron Project: 29 New Stories from the Pandemic. Marco Caracciolo is an Associate Professor of English and Literary Theory at Ghent University in… Continue reading Episode 19: Jim Phelan & Marco Caracciolo — Charles Yu’s “Systems”

Episode 18: Amy Shuman & Mary Hufford — Tending Sensibility through Narrative

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Amy Shuman and Mary Hufford discuss an oral narrative Hufford collected at the Headwaters of Southern West Virginia’s Big Coal River Valley. Mary Hufford is Associate Director of the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network. After twenty years as a folklife specialist at the American Folklife Center, Library of… Continue reading Episode 18: Amy Shuman & Mary Hufford — Tending Sensibility through Narrative

Episode 17: Jim Phelan & Faye Halpern — Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Faye Halpern discuss Edgar Allan Poe’s 1843 short story, “The Black Cat.” Faye Halpern is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Calgary and is the author of Sentimental Readers: The Rise, Fall, and Revival of a Disparaged Rhetoric as well as… Continue reading Episode 17: Jim Phelan & Faye Halpern — Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat”

Episode 16: Jim Phelan & Amanpal Garcha — Salman Rushdie’s “The Firebird’s Nest”

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Amanpal Garcha discuss Salman Rushdie’s 1997 short story, “The Firebird’s Nest.” Amanpal Garcha is an Associate Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Ohio State University’s English department, and he has recently become a member of the Core Faculty of Project Narrative.… Continue reading Episode 16: Jim Phelan & Amanpal Garcha — Salman Rushdie’s “The Firebird’s Nest”

Episode 15: Jim Phelan & Simone Drake​ — Scotia Brown’s Oral Narratives of Everyday Racism​

In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Simone Drake discuss two oral narratives by Scotia Brown, which were told as a part of an ongoing research project on African American women’s stories of everyday racism. Simone Drake is the Hazel C. Youngberg Trustees Distinguished Professor of English at Ohio State and… Continue reading Episode 15: Jim Phelan & Simone Drake​ — Scotia Brown’s Oral Narratives of Everyday Racism​