Spellbinding short stories by established and emerging writers take on a new life when they are perfo
This year's winner of the Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize, judged by Simon Rich, was “The Flamingo Café" by Laurie Lathem. Enjoy this excerpt of Susan Pourfar's performance of the story, and read it for yourself on Electric Literature! https://bit.ly/3Sh7ti4
06/18/2026
Looking for ways to celebrate Juneteenth in NYC this weekend? We loved this list from Epicenter NYC for festivities across all five boroughs.
12 ways to celebrate Juneteenth in NYC - Epicenter NYC With food, parades and more, there's a way for everyone to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday throughout New York City in 2026.
06/17/2026
On this week's Selected Shorts episode, Nothing To Do with Love, actors Jane Kaczmarek and Hettienne Park perform two unconventional love stories by Evelyn Waugh and Esther Yi. Take a listen wherever you get your podcasts. https://bit.ly/4uLJKUO
(First photo by James Bessoir, second photo by Kevin Yatarola)
Images: Jane Kaczmarek and Hettienne Park stand on the stage in front of a microphone reading a story.
There's still time to get tickets for Selected Shorts' final tour stop of the season at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, CT on Jun 21! Actors Patricia Kalember, Ophira Eisenberg, Hampton Fluker, and David Strathairn bring to life stories about community and finding where you belong. Don’t miss this spellbinding night (and great pizza, too!) https://bit.ly/4u8M7AK
Image: A rotation featuring Patricia Kalember, Ophira Eisenberg, Hampton Fluker, and David Strathairn in front of a pink background, and text that says, "Selected Shorts on Tour: University Theatre, New Haven, CT, Sun, June 21 at 7PM."
06/13/2026
Earlier this week, our friend and Selected Shorts host Meg Wolitzer led us through an evening of stories all about firsts. Thank you to Meg, actors Carrie C**n, Florencia Cuenca, Zach Grenier, Andy Mientus, and Susan Pourfar, and everyone who joined us in-person and over the livestream. You have one more chance to catch Selected Shorts live onstage this season, at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, CT on Jun 21!
(Photos by Nile Scott Studios)
Images: 1: The artists stand backstage in front of a pink background, smiling.
2: Meg Wolitzer stands on the stage, speaking into a microphone.
3: Florencia Cuenca stands on the stage in front of a microphone reading a story.
4: Zach Grenier stands on the stage in front of a microphone reading a story.
5: Carrie C**n stands on the stage in front of a microphone reading a story.
6: Andy Mientus stands on the stage in front of a microphone reading a story.
7: Susan Pourfar stands on the stage in front of a microphone reading a story.
06/10/2026
This week on Selected Shorts we present the second of two programs created with the podcast Death, S*x & Money and our live event host Anna Sale. Actors Peter Francis James and Michael Stuhlbarg perform stories about the pursuit of happiness by Oscar Wilde and Kevin Brockmeier. Take a listen wherever you get your podcasts. https://bit.ly/49U8XVv
(Photos by Nile Scott Studios)
Images: Peter Francis James and Michael Stuhlbarg stand on the stage in front of a microphone reading a story.
06/09/2026
Congratulations to John Lithgow, Michael Arden, Ali Louis Bourzgui, and Mary-Mitchell Campbell on their Tony Awards this past weekend, and to all of our nominated friends! See the full list here:
Tony Award Winners 2026: See the Full List The Tony Awards were held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
It's your last chance to get tickets for next Wednesday's Selected Shorts: A First Time for Everything with Meg Wolitzer! Join us in the theater or over the livestream for an evening of hilarious and poignant short stories about the dramatic moments in life where everything changes and nothing will ever quite be the same. With performances by Carrie C**n, Florencia Cuenca, Zach Grenier, Andy Mientus, and Susan Pourfar. https://bit.ly/49wsB9T
Image: A rotation featuring Meg Wolitzer, Carrie C**n, Florencia Cuenca, Zach Grenier, Andy Mientus, and Susan Pourfar in front of a red background, and text that says, "Selected Shorts: A First Time for Everything with Meg Wolitzer, Carrie C**n, Florencia Cuenca, Zach Grenier, Andy Mientus, and Susan Pourfar, Wed, June 10 at 7PM."
06/03/2026
Happy Month from all of us at Symphony Space! If you're looking for new reads for this June and beyond, our Literature team has selected some of their favorite books by LGBTQ+ authors. Let us know how you're celebrating Pride in the comments!
Image: A stack of books by LGBTQ+ authors on a desk.
06/03/2026
On this week's Selected Shorts episode, Death, S*x & Money with Anna Sale, actors Richard Kind and Amy Ryan perform stories by Ernie Wang and Seth Fried about everyone's favorite subjects. This is the first of two programs created from our live event with the podcast Death, S*x, and Money. Take a listen wherever you get your podcasts. https://bit.ly/4abCbz7
(Photos by Nile Scott Studios)
Images: Richard Kind and Amy Ryan stand on the stage in front of a microphone reading a story.