Project Narrative
Episodes
Episode 54: Jim Phelan & Alison Booth — Grace Paley’s “A Conversation with My Father”
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Alison Booth discuss Grace Paley’s “A Conversation with My Father,”...
Episode 53: Jim Phelan & Maria Mäkelä — Julio Cortázar’s “Axolotl”
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Maria Mäkelä discuss a short story by Julio Cortázar, “Axolotl,” pu...
Episode 52: Jim Phelan & Simona Zetterberg-Nielsen — Omar El Akkad’s “Factory Air”
07 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Simona Zetterberg-Nielsen discuss Omar El Akkad’s “Factory Air,” f...
Episode 51: Jim Phelan & Nikki Grimes — excerpts from Nikki Grimes’s Ordinary Hazards
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Nikki Grimes discuss excerpts from her memoir in verse, Ordinary Hazards, published ...
Episode 50: Jim Phelan & Rhona Trauvitch — Ken Liu’s “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species”
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Rhona Trauvitch discuss “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” by Ken...
Episode 49: Jim Phelan & Jan Alber — Robert Olen Butler’s “Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot”
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Jan Alber discuss “Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot” by Robert Olen Butl...
Episode 48: Jim Phelan & Catherine Belling — Susan Onthank Mates’s “Laundry”
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Catherine Belling discuss “Laundry” by Susan Onthank Mates, originally published ...
Episode 47: Jim Phelan & Marta Figlerowicz — Chapter 1 of D.O. Fagunwa’s Forest of a Thousand Daemons, “The Author Meets Akara-Ogun”
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Marta Figlerowicz discuss the first chapter of D.O. Fagunwa’s novel, Forest of a Th...
Episode 46: Jim Phelan & Gary Weissman — Shalom Auslander’s “Smite the Heathens, Charlie Brown”
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Gary Weissman discuss Shalom Auslander’s short story, “Smite the Heathens, Charli...
Episode 45: Jim Phelan & Kent Puckett — Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
27 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Kent Puckett discuss the 1817 edition of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of t...
Episode 44: Jim Phelan & Kelly Marsh — Caryl Phillips’s “Growing Pains”
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Kelly Marsh discuss Caryl Phillips’s short piece of life writing, “Growing Pains:...
Episode 43: Jim Phelan & Stefan Iversen — OpenAI’s “AI, Metafiction, and Grief”
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Stefan Iversen discuss a story generated by artificial intelligence; more specificall...
Episode 42: Jim Phelan and Daniel Punday — Charles Yu’s “Problems for Self-Study”
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Daniel Punday discuss Charles Yu’s 2020 short story, “Problems of Self-Study,” ...
Episode 41: Jim Phelan & David Richter — Katherine Anne Porter’s “Theft”
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and David Richter discuss Katherine Anne Porter’s short story “Theft,” originally p...
Episode 40: Jim Phelan & Robert Caserio — Elizabeth Bowen’s “I Hear You Say So”
02 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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.”...
Episode 39: Jim Phelan & Eyal Segal — Sholem Aleichem’s “Baranovich Station”
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Eyal Segal discuss Sholem Aleichem’s short story, “Baranovich Station.” Eyal Se...
Episode 38: Jim Phelan & Amy Elias — Lemony Snicket’s “The Lump of Coal”
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 El...
Episode 37: Jim Phelan & Aaron Oforlea — James Baldwin’s “Going to Meet the Man”
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Aaron Oforlea discuss James Baldwin’s “Going to Meet the Man,” published in Bal...
Episode 36: Jim Phelan & Suzanne Keen — John Cheever’s “The Death of Justina”
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Suzanne Keen discuss John Cheever’s 1960 short story, “The Death of Justina.” S...
Episode 35: Jim Phelan & Christopher González — Junot Díaz’s “The Books of Losing You”
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Christopher González discuss Junot Díaz’s 2024 flash fiction, “The Books of Los...
Episode 34: Jim Phelan & Dorothee Birke — Ali Smith’s “Text for the Day”
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 19...
Episode 33: Jim Phelan & Brian McAllister — Juliana Spahr’s “Gentle Now Don’t Add to Heartache”
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 He...
Episode 32: Jim Phelan & Daphna Erdinast-Vulcan — Katherine Mansfield’s “The Fly”
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Daphna Edrinast-Vulcan discuss Katherine Mansfield’s 1922 short story, “The Fly.”...
Episode 31: Jim Phelan & Jakob Lothe — Nadine Gordimer’s “Is There Nowhere Else We Can Meet?”
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 30: Jim Phelan & Brian Richardson — Ilse Aichinger’s “Mirror Story”
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Brian Richardson discuss Ilse Aichinger’s short story, “Spiegelgeschichte,” tra...
Episode 29: Jim Phelan & Dorothy Hale — Chapter I of Henry James’s The Ambassadors
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 28: Jim Phelan & Matt Seybold — Chapter XVIII of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special crossover episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Matt Seybold, executive producer and host of The American Vandal Po...
Episode 27: Jim Phelan & Sarah Copland — Bernardine Evaristo’s “ohtakemehomelord.com”
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Sarah Copland discuss Bernardine Evaristo’s 2005 short story, “ohtakemehomelord.c...
Episode 26: Jim Phelan & Lindsay Holmgren — Ursula Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Aw...
Episode 25: Jim Phelan & Rita Charon — George Saunders’ “Puppy”
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Rita Charon discuss George Saunders’ short story, “Puppy.” Rita Charon is Berna...
Episode 24: Jim Phelan & Henrik Zetterberg-Nielsen — Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Henrik Zetterberg-Nielsen discuss Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Tell-Tale H...
Episode 23: Jim Phelan & Susan Lanser — Sayed Kashua’s “Herzl Disappears at Midnight”
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Susan Lanser discuss Sayed Kashua’s 2005 short story, “Herzl Disappears at Midnig...
Episode 22: Jim Phelan & Erin James — Rachel Carson’s “A Fable for Tomorrow” from Silent Spring
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Episode 21: Jim Phelan & Yoon Sun Lee — Excerpt from Maxine Hong Kingston’s “No Name Woman”
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Girlh...
Episode 20: Jim Phelan & Paul Dawson — The Proliferation of the Term Narrative in Public Discourse
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Paul Dawson discuss the proliferation of the term “narrative” in public discourse...
Episode 19: Jim Phelan & Marco Caracciolo — Charles Yu’s “Systems”
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Marco Caracciolo discuss Charles Yu’s 2020 short story, “Systems,” which was co...
Episode 18: Amy Shuman & Mary Hufford — Tending Sensibility through Narrative
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Amy Shuman and Mary Hufford discuss an oral narrative Hufford collected at the Headwaters of Souther...
Episode 17: Jim Phelan & Faye Halpern — Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat”
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 16: Jim Phelan & Amanpal Garcha — Salman Rushdie’s “The Firebird’s Nest”
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Amanpal Garcha discuss Salman Rushdie’s 1997 short story, “The Firebird’s Nest....
Episode 15: Jim Phelan & Simone Drake — Scotia Brown’s Oral Narratives of Everyday Racism
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
Episode 14: Jim Phelan & Jared Gardner — Chris Gethard’s “Career Suicide”
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Jared Gardner discuss Chris Gethard’s 2017 stand-up comedy special, Career Suicide,...
Episode 13: Jim Phelan & Sarah Iles Johnston — The Myth of Arachne and Athena
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim sits down with Sarah Iles Johnston to read and discuss her own retelling of the myth of Arachne ...
Episode 12: Jim Phelan & Leigh Gilmore — “Neck” by Maggie O’Farrell
01 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan and Leigh Gilmore read and discuss the first chapter from Maggie O’Farrell’s 2018 mem...
Episode 11: Jim Phelan & Frederick Aldama — “The Continuity of Parks” by Julio Cortázar
27 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Frederick Luis Aldama reads Julio Cortázar’s two-paragraph short story and discusses it with our ...
Episode 10: Jim Phelan & Ashley Hope Pérez — “Report on Heaven and Hell” by Silvina Ocampo
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Ashley Hope Pérez sits down with Jim Phelan to read and discuss Silvina Ocampo’s four-paragraph s...
Episode 9: Jim Phelan & Sean O’Sullivan — “Black Box” by Jennifer Egan
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this month’s episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan sits down with Sean O’Sullivan to read and discuss “Black Box,” a short s...
Episode 8: Jim Phelan & Brian McHale — “Chicxulub” by By T. C. Boyle
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this month’s episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, our faithful host, Jim Phelan, finally finds himself in the guest chair! Alongside today’...
Episode 7: Julia Watson & Jim Phelan — Alice’s Walker’s “Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self”
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Julia Watson and Jim Phelan read and discuss a particularly moving piece of life writing, Alice Walk...
Episode 6: Karen Winstead & Jim Phelan — Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this month’s episode, Karen Winstead and Jim Phelan read and discuss two excerpts from Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, “How Arthur was B...
Episode 5: Amy Shuman & Jim Phelan — Narratives of Waiting
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this month’s episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Amy Shuman, Professor of English at the Ohio State University and Core Faculty Member of P...
Episode 4: Angus Fletcher & Jim Phelan — Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Jim Phelan sits down with Angus Fletcher, Core Faculty Member of Project Narrative with joint appoin...
Episode 3: Robyn Warhol & Jim Phelan — Zadie Smith’s “The Waiter’s Wife”
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this month’s episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Robyn Warhol, Distinguished Professor of English at the Ohio State University and Core Fac...
Episode 2: Brian McHale & Jim Phelan – Stories with Holes
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this month’s episode of the Project Narrative Podcast, Brian McHale, Distinguished Professor of English at the Ohio State University and one of t...
Episode 1: Katra Byram & Jim Phelan — A Conversation about “Hinter uns, mein Land”
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of the Project Narrative podcast, Katra Byram, Associate Professor of German Language and Literature and Core Faculty Member of P...