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Still Talking: Stories
"For almost six decades Segal has quietly produced some of the best fiction and essays in American literature..."—The New York Times
The eagerly awaited follow-up to Ladies Lunch, beloved New Yorker writer Lore Segal's final story collection returns with further tales of the old friends who have loved and lunched together for over 40 years.
"Segal writes with welcome clarity about life’s final years, and if her characters are not always as wise as they think they are, Segal eyes them all with the unsentimental wisdom of a life spent writing wondrous stories and essays, a career spent telling the truth."—Slate
Lore Segal is a master of the short story, and this story collection shows her in peak form. Profound, dark, and often hilarious, Segal portrays her characters foibles, eccentricities and passions with great compassion and exactness, as they grapple with life, aging, and each other.
The eagerly awaited follow-up to Ladies Lunch, beloved New Yorker writer Lore Segal's final story collection returns with further tales of the old friends who have loved and lunched together for over 40 years.
"Segal writes with welcome clarity about life’s final years, and if her characters are not always as wise as they think they are, Segal eyes them all with the unsentimental wisdom of a life spent writing wondrous stories and essays, a career spent telling the truth."—Slate
Lore Segal is a master of the short story, and this story collection shows her in peak form. Profound, dark, and often hilarious, Segal portrays her characters foibles, eccentricities and passions with great compassion and exactness, as they grapple with life, aging, and each other.
128 pages, Paperback
Published March 17, 2026
About the author
Lore Segal
40 books146 followersLore Vailer Segal was an Austrian-American novelist, translator, teacher, short story writer, and author of children's books. Her novel Shakespeare's Kitchen was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 8, 2026
Minutely observed short pieces centering around a group of older women who have been friends for perhaps half a century. Only Lore Segal can make musings about waterbugs interesting. I particularly enjoyed the Forgetting Olympics, where the women commiserate via bragging about what they have lately forgotten. I know I'll be entering such a competition someday!
The narrator does an excellent job with the voices of the different women, including an Eastern European accent.
My thanks to the late author, publisher, @HighbridgeAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #StillTalking for review purposes. Publication date is tomorrow: 10 March 2026.
The narrator does an excellent job with the voices of the different women, including an Eastern European accent.
My thanks to the late author, publisher, @HighbridgeAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #StillTalking for review purposes. Publication date is tomorrow: 10 March 2026.
March 22, 2026
Lore Segal,kept writing until the end and I love how she captured what it is like to be getting really old. The ladies lunch group don’t want to travel any more, they don’t really want o go out, but they do want to have somebody to talk to. I can relate to the time they got together for the “Olympics” of forgetting and tried to outdo one another discussing all the things they had forgotten.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I would give this book 3.5 stars.
Still Talking is a slice of life set of short stories about the same group of women from “Ladies Lunch.” These stories feature a group of friends from New York, and their experiences relate to old age. They span dealing with illness and loss not only of others, but of their freedoms and independence. Featuring also traumas these women have dealt with in their lives and their histories. I found these stories to be poignant and meaningful. Segal can really pack a punch into a very short amount of prose.
I have not reached the age of the protagonists but the way Segal is able to describe their feelings of exhaustion with the world, and yet wanting to be able to continue to exist in it brought up such deep emotions. I think these stories really can appeal to nearly anyone.
I was provided with a copy of the audiobook from Net Galley to review, and I really liked the narration. The narrator was able to modulate her voice differently to illustrate the different characters. One has an accent as well, which I sometimes find distracting, but this narrator did it quite well. The chapters did have significant pauses between them, but they were not distracting at all from the story and even provided a clear distinction between them.
Still Talking is a slice of life set of short stories about the same group of women from “Ladies Lunch.” These stories feature a group of friends from New York, and their experiences relate to old age. They span dealing with illness and loss not only of others, but of their freedoms and independence. Featuring also traumas these women have dealt with in their lives and their histories. I found these stories to be poignant and meaningful. Segal can really pack a punch into a very short amount of prose.
I have not reached the age of the protagonists but the way Segal is able to describe their feelings of exhaustion with the world, and yet wanting to be able to continue to exist in it brought up such deep emotions. I think these stories really can appeal to nearly anyone.
I was provided with a copy of the audiobook from Net Galley to review, and I really liked the narration. The narrator was able to modulate her voice differently to illustrate the different characters. One has an accent as well, which I sometimes find distracting, but this narrator did it quite well. The chapters did have significant pauses between them, but they were not distracting at all from the story and even provided a clear distinction between them.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Still Talking feels like listening to memory itself have lunch.
In one Ladies’ Lunch sitting, Still Talking will change you.
I believe that in our eighties and nineties, our thoughts become a compilation of every thought we’ve ever had, or at least what we remember of them. That’s how the conversations of Lore Segal’s ladies materialized for me. Your thoughts having lunch on a Monday on the Upper West Side, occasionally on Zoom because you can’t bear the thought of going out.
I saw my mom’s worries about forgetting. My boyfriend’s grandmother telling the same stories. My friend repeating something I once said that felt so distant it sounded more like a dream than memory.
Books, stories, and authors find you in curious times and ways. I am so grateful that Lore has found me, and I her. Being a Pulitzer Prize finalist proves a great deal. Touching a stranger’s heart through words proves something much more meaningful.
I will still be talking about this book, thanks to NetGalley and Melville House!
In one Ladies’ Lunch sitting, Still Talking will change you.
I believe that in our eighties and nineties, our thoughts become a compilation of every thought we’ve ever had, or at least what we remember of them. That’s how the conversations of Lore Segal’s ladies materialized for me. Your thoughts having lunch on a Monday on the Upper West Side, occasionally on Zoom because you can’t bear the thought of going out.
I saw my mom’s worries about forgetting. My boyfriend’s grandmother telling the same stories. My friend repeating something I once said that felt so distant it sounded more like a dream than memory.
Books, stories, and authors find you in curious times and ways. I am so grateful that Lore has found me, and I her. Being a Pulitzer Prize finalist proves a great deal. Touching a stranger’s heart through words proves something much more meaningful.
I will still be talking about this book, thanks to NetGalley and Melville House!
April 3, 2026
I will take the blame for this one. I am usually drawn to books about older people coming together, whether for lunch or simply to catch up and talk about life. It is a concept I genuinely enjoy, so I went into this expecting to like it. Unfortunately, this was not the one for me.
It is true that the women do come together and talk, often about the small, everyday details of life. However, these short, interconnected stories did not really go anywhere for me. I kept feeling as though I was missing something.
The best way I can describe the experience is like being a newcomer to an established group. Everyone else is deep in conversation about shared histories and inside references, while you are trying your best to keep up and make sense of it all. That is how I felt throughout the book. I could not fully connect with the conversations or the characters, and it left me feeling somewhat disconnected.
That said, it is a relatively short read, which I appreciated.
Overall, while I liked the idea behind it, the execution did not quite work for me.
It is true that the women do come together and talk, often about the small, everyday details of life. However, these short, interconnected stories did not really go anywhere for me. I kept feeling as though I was missing something.
The best way I can describe the experience is like being a newcomer to an established group. Everyone else is deep in conversation about shared histories and inside references, while you are trying your best to keep up and make sense of it all. That is how I felt throughout the book. I could not fully connect with the conversations or the characters, and it left me feeling somewhat disconnected.
That said, it is a relatively short read, which I appreciated.
Overall, while I liked the idea behind it, the execution did not quite work for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley, Melville House (eARC) and RBMedia (ALC) for providing me with advanced copies.
This was a great follow up to Ladies' Lunch. These stories hit a lot harder than those in the first book. It might be because I was now used to the characters. A lot of things that are quite mundane to us young people aren't really so for the elderly and vice versa. It was really interesting to see them reflect over these towards the end of their lives. This also felt heavily derived from the author's own experiences. I might actually read this again when I'm that old (hopefully I remember to do so). I think it'll hit even harder then. I would recommend this to anyone who just wants to quietly reflect upon the small things in life.
The narrator did a great job of bringing out all the emotions, different voices, intonations and accents for each character. It definitely improved my reading experience.
This was a great follow up to Ladies' Lunch. These stories hit a lot harder than those in the first book. It might be because I was now used to the characters. A lot of things that are quite mundane to us young people aren't really so for the elderly and vice versa. It was really interesting to see them reflect over these towards the end of their lives. This also felt heavily derived from the author's own experiences. I might actually read this again when I'm that old (hopefully I remember to do so). I think it'll hit even harder then. I would recommend this to anyone who just wants to quietly reflect upon the small things in life.
The narrator did a great job of bringing out all the emotions, different voices, intonations and accents for each character. It definitely improved my reading experience.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this book.
This is the first book of short stories that had context to inspire me to think. I think about getting older, what to expect, how I will feel looking back on my life. What helped me the most is that the author provided almost a synopsis of the characters. Who you would be meeting and some examples of their experiences. I finished this in a few hours. I would not have minded if the book was longer.
From what I gather, this is the last book published by this author. I hope I am able to find other ones and they fall under the same preface. No swearing or sexual content. Ages 16+. I don't think any younger would have much interest in this novel.
This is the first book of short stories that had context to inspire me to think. I think about getting older, what to expect, how I will feel looking back on my life. What helped me the most is that the author provided almost a synopsis of the characters. Who you would be meeting and some examples of their experiences. I finished this in a few hours. I would not have minded if the book was longer.
From what I gather, this is the last book published by this author. I hope I am able to find other ones and they fall under the same preface. No swearing or sexual content. Ages 16+. I don't think any younger would have much interest in this novel.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fantastic, short, posthumous set of short stories by one of our greatest modern short story writers. The characters were absolutely incredible and the stories were all very effective. I would recommend this one. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
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April 8, 2026
Poignant, thoughtful, and charming. Sometimes funny. Largely quiet and contemplative, with occasional twinges of angst and heartbreak. Focused on a group of older women, but recommended for anyone who is a person, is interested in people, or spends time with them. The audiobook was very well read by Christa Lewis. Thank you to @librofm for the ALC.
March 18, 2026
This is a short collection of stories and it flies by. I'm new to the writer but the people felt like they were real, not characters, and the insights were interesting. The narrator was fantastic.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this
This is a review of the audiobook.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this
This is a review of the audiobook.
April 17, 2026
This slight book of slight stories looks at the aging lives of a group of women in NYC. Each one examines the series of losses (physical, mental, emotional) and their resilience as they face them. It's coming for all of us.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My thanks to Melville House (distributed by PRH) and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. To be published March 26, 2026.
This is a slim, posthumous, volume of short, and short short, stories that continues on Segal's 2023 collection, "Ladies' Lunch". Most of the stories here have been published in the "New Yorker" previously.
And Segal was the ultimate New Yorker! Jewish, literary, Upper West Side - which describes all of the ladies who lunch together here (or during COVID, and later as their age limits their being able to get out and about, gather on Zoom).
But it is also a tale of friends aging. And using your friends stories to develop your own fictions (the Segal-like character here explains to her friends in the book that she has already killed off a couple of them in her stories- although they seem to still be alive in real life!).
And it is also a book about the years and decades of friendship. When one of them has a crisis, they all appear - even though the idea of going out at their age is something they no longer look forward to (no more trains or theatre or movies for them!).
But it is the aging, and all it involves, and the possible loneliness, the lack of their family's attention, that the ladies talk about the most - and hence Segal writes about. No holds barred. She passed at the age of 96 in 2024.
As a graduate student in the mid-1980's, I was lucky enough to take a class she offered during her time at the U of IL-Chicago about Fable and Folklore. In 1973 she translated and collected a 2 volume edition of the Grimm Brothers Tales, along with Randall Jarrell, and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. It is still THE English collection you want to have of the Grimm Tales. I had forgotten that she had written a number of children's books as well. I still fondly remember that class, and her wide ranging knowledge, intelligence, and insight.
She had also just published what would be her most popular novel, "Her First American" (1985). Although the Ultimate New Yorker, Chicago embraced her, and we sold the pb edition of that novel hand over fist at the indie bookstore I worked at (one of the Barbara's).
I am glad that Melville is publishing her late in life writings, and republishing some of her earlier work (including "Her First American"). This also comes with a warm appreciation and Introduction by her friend, Vivian Gornick.
I have to admit I have not read her since that time in the '80's. That will change. While this is a continuation of "Ladies' Lunch", you do not have to have read that before you read this. But, after reading this, I am looking forward to picking up that collection soon as well.
4.5 out of 5.
This is a slim, posthumous, volume of short, and short short, stories that continues on Segal's 2023 collection, "Ladies' Lunch". Most of the stories here have been published in the "New Yorker" previously.
And Segal was the ultimate New Yorker! Jewish, literary, Upper West Side - which describes all of the ladies who lunch together here (or during COVID, and later as their age limits their being able to get out and about, gather on Zoom).
But it is also a tale of friends aging. And using your friends stories to develop your own fictions (the Segal-like character here explains to her friends in the book that she has already killed off a couple of them in her stories- although they seem to still be alive in real life!).
And it is also a book about the years and decades of friendship. When one of them has a crisis, they all appear - even though the idea of going out at their age is something they no longer look forward to (no more trains or theatre or movies for them!).
But it is the aging, and all it involves, and the possible loneliness, the lack of their family's attention, that the ladies talk about the most - and hence Segal writes about. No holds barred. She passed at the age of 96 in 2024.
As a graduate student in the mid-1980's, I was lucky enough to take a class she offered during her time at the U of IL-Chicago about Fable and Folklore. In 1973 she translated and collected a 2 volume edition of the Grimm Brothers Tales, along with Randall Jarrell, and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. It is still THE English collection you want to have of the Grimm Tales. I had forgotten that she had written a number of children's books as well. I still fondly remember that class, and her wide ranging knowledge, intelligence, and insight.
She had also just published what would be her most popular novel, "Her First American" (1985). Although the Ultimate New Yorker, Chicago embraced her, and we sold the pb edition of that novel hand over fist at the indie bookstore I worked at (one of the Barbara's).
I am glad that Melville is publishing her late in life writings, and republishing some of her earlier work (including "Her First American"). This also comes with a warm appreciation and Introduction by her friend, Vivian Gornick.
I have to admit I have not read her since that time in the '80's. That will change. While this is a continuation of "Ladies' Lunch", you do not have to have read that before you read this. But, after reading this, I am looking forward to picking up that collection soon as well.
4.5 out of 5.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
.
Review of advance copy
Thanks to Libro.fm for an Advanced Listener's Copy of this collection. It was fun listening in on Segal's chatty characters and their musings.
March 31, 2026
A reminder to myself that short stories do not work well as audio books. I enjoyed her previous collection but this one wandered and went nowhere. Disappointing.
April 13, 2026
Very brief audio book.
April 29, 2026
Beautifully written, funny, applicable, and lovely. I felt like I was at the table with friends.
May 3, 2026
These stories feel more like vignettes, rather than full stories. However, there are some wonderful insights to the problems of growing old.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews