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Selected Shorts: Family Matters
Recorded live at the Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York City and at venues across the United States, these audio anthologies feature short stories from the Selected Shorts program that airs nationwide. More than 300,000 listeners tune in to this offering weekly to hear some of their favorite tales read aloud by an assortment of distinguished actors.
Hilarious and colorful episodes in the lives of families—many depicted from a kid’s-eye-view—are the theme for this compilation. They include, Shirley Jackson’s "Charles" read by Lois Smith, Etgar Keret’s "Pride and Joy" read by Robert Sean Leonard, Diane Leslie’s "A Life of Crime" read by Jill Eikenberry, Rick Moody’s "Boys" read by B. D. Wong, Frank O’Connor’s "First Confession" read by Malachy McCourt, Grace Paley’s "The Loudest Voice" read by Linda Lavin, and Touré’s "Solomon’s Big Day: A Children’s Story" read by Daniel Alexander Jones.
Hilarious and colorful episodes in the lives of families—many depicted from a kid’s-eye-view—are the theme for this compilation. They include, Shirley Jackson’s "Charles" read by Lois Smith, Etgar Keret’s "Pride and Joy" read by Robert Sean Leonard, Diane Leslie’s "A Life of Crime" read by Jill Eikenberry, Rick Moody’s "Boys" read by B. D. Wong, Frank O’Connor’s "First Confession" read by Malachy McCourt, Grace Paley’s "The Loudest Voice" read by Linda Lavin, and Touré’s "Solomon’s Big Day: A Children’s Story" read by Daniel Alexander Jones.
Audible Audio
First published October 1, 2007
About the author
Shirley Jackson
352 books12.4k followersShirley Jackson was an influential American author. A popular writer in her time, her work has received increasing attention from literary critics in recent years. She has influenced such writers as Stephen King, Nigel Kneale, and Richard Matheson.
She is best known for her dystopian short story, "The Lottery" (1948), which suggests there is a deeply unsettling underside to bucolic, smalltown America. In her critical biography of Shirley Jackson, Lenemaja Friedman notes that when Shirley Jackson's story "The Lottery" was published in the June 28, 1948, issue of The New Yorker, it received a response that "no New Yorker story had ever received." Hundreds of letters poured in that were characterized by, as Jackson put it, "bewilderment, speculation and old-fashioned abuse."
Jackson's husband, the literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman, wrote in his preface to a posthumous anthology of her work that "she consistently refused to be interviewed, to explain or promote her work in any fashion, or to take public stands and be the pundit of the Sunday supplements. She believed that her books would speak for her clearly enough over the years." Hyman insisted the darker aspects of Jackson's works were not, as some critics claimed, the product of "personal, even neurotic, fantasies", but that Jackson intended, as "a sensitive and faithful anatomy of our times, fitting symbols for our distressing world of the concentration camp and the Bomb", to mirror humanity's Cold War-era fears. Jackson may even have taken pleasure in the subversive impact of her work, as revealed by Hyman's statement that she "was always proud that the Union of South Africa banned The Lottery', and she felt that they at least understood the story".
In 1965, Jackson died of heart failure in her sleep, at her home in North Bennington Vermont, at the age of 48.
She is best known for her dystopian short story, "The Lottery" (1948), which suggests there is a deeply unsettling underside to bucolic, smalltown America. In her critical biography of Shirley Jackson, Lenemaja Friedman notes that when Shirley Jackson's story "The Lottery" was published in the June 28, 1948, issue of The New Yorker, it received a response that "no New Yorker story had ever received." Hundreds of letters poured in that were characterized by, as Jackson put it, "bewilderment, speculation and old-fashioned abuse."
Jackson's husband, the literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman, wrote in his preface to a posthumous anthology of her work that "she consistently refused to be interviewed, to explain or promote her work in any fashion, or to take public stands and be the pundit of the Sunday supplements. She believed that her books would speak for her clearly enough over the years." Hyman insisted the darker aspects of Jackson's works were not, as some critics claimed, the product of "personal, even neurotic, fantasies", but that Jackson intended, as "a sensitive and faithful anatomy of our times, fitting symbols for our distressing world of the concentration camp and the Bomb", to mirror humanity's Cold War-era fears. Jackson may even have taken pleasure in the subversive impact of her work, as revealed by Hyman's statement that she "was always proud that the Union of South Africa banned The Lottery', and she felt that they at least understood the story".
In 1965, Jackson died of heart failure in her sleep, at her home in North Bennington Vermont, at the age of 48.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 8, 2025
Some of these stories... wow.
September 14, 2015
Shirley Jackson's "Charles" - Laurie's parents are dying to meet the most misbehaved boy in school. (3 stars)
Frank O'Connor's "First Confession" - A guilt-ridden Irish lad fears his first confession may be his last. (3 stars)
Toure's Solomon's Big Day: A Children's Story" - A little boy named Solomon escapes into the magical world of his paintings. (4 stars)
Grace Paley's "The Loudest Voice" - This year's Christmas pageant stars a Jewish girl. (3 stars)
Diane Leslie's "A Life of Crime" - Love and passion, Hollywood style, from a girl's-eye-view. (4 stars)
Etgar Keret's "Pride and Joy" - A young man struggles to save his shrinking parents. (3 stars)
Rick Moody's "Boys" - The world of boys. (3 stars)
Frank O'Connor's "First Confession" - A guilt-ridden Irish lad fears his first confession may be his last. (3 stars)
Toure's Solomon's Big Day: A Children's Story" - A little boy named Solomon escapes into the magical world of his paintings. (4 stars)
Grace Paley's "The Loudest Voice" - This year's Christmas pageant stars a Jewish girl. (3 stars)
Diane Leslie's "A Life of Crime" - Love and passion, Hollywood style, from a girl's-eye-view. (4 stars)
Etgar Keret's "Pride and Joy" - A young man struggles to save his shrinking parents. (3 stars)
Rick Moody's "Boys" - The world of boys. (3 stars)
June 14, 2012
It was hilarious to listen to! There's at least one thing for everyone who listens to relate to.
January 23, 2024
I really enjoy listening to these audio performances. They bring the stories alive in a way that reading them does not.
My rating for individual stories:
"Charles" by Shirley Jackson - 5 stars
"First Confession" by Frank O'Connor - 4.5 stars
"Solomon's Big Day: A Children's Story" by Touré - 3 stars
"The Loudest Voice" by Grace Paley - 3.5 stars
"A Life of Crime" by Diane Leslie -3 stars
"Pride and Joy" by Etgar Keret - 2 stars
"Boys" by Rick Moody - 4 stars
My rating for individual stories:
"Charles" by Shirley Jackson - 5 stars
"First Confession" by Frank O'Connor - 4.5 stars
"Solomon's Big Day: A Children's Story" by Touré - 3 stars
"The Loudest Voice" by Grace Paley - 3.5 stars
"A Life of Crime" by Diane Leslie -3 stars
"Pride and Joy" by Etgar Keret - 2 stars
"Boys" by Rick Moody - 4 stars
March 31, 2026
Audiobook - fun to listen to stories. Solomon's Big Day: a Children's Story / Touré ; Read by Daniel Alexander Jones Ah.... show and tell - what a fun thing for kids - probably gone by now... Although this is stated as a children's story, it has a big lesson for all ages about the nature and purpose of art...... A Life of Crime / Diane Leslie ; Read by Jill Eikenberry - just OK. Pride and Joy (12:59) / Etgar Keret ; Read by Robert Sean Leonard ; Strange story about a Jewish boy's parents shrinking as he grew taller. He takes measures to stunt his growth and keep his parents alive. Unusual tale of self-sacrifice.... Boys (17:00) / Rick Moody ; Read by B.D. Wong - did not like story about boys and their obsession with masturbation. Kristi & Abby Tabby
February 27, 2026
This was a great collection of family-themed stories read by celebrities. I got this audiobook because it had a short story, The Loudest Voice, by Grace Paley, about a Jewish girl asked to play Mary in the school nativity play. There were other gems in this collection, including Charles, with a delightful twist, by Shirley Jackson. Another by Malachy McCourt, Frank O’Connor’s First Confession, made me laugh out loud many times as I listened. Added bonus—and I guess I have been living under a rock—it introduced me to this podcast from a WNYC show, Selected Shorts.
February 7, 2019
OMG. These were terrific. Especially the one about going to confession, by Malachy McCourt. And the one by Grace Paley about the little kids from a Jewish community who had to participate in a Christmas play. Terrific selection!
January 1, 2023
This collection was such a delight - all of the stories made me smiley, with my favorite being Frank O'Connor's First Confession. This is a batch of feel-good stories that I'll absolutely be coming back to.
July 26, 2023
A good listen. Charles was predictable but read oh so delightfully. Boys was poignant and read beautifully. First Confession was fun. As was the Loudest Voice. A life of crime started a little cringy but improved. Solomon’s Big Day was lovely. Pride and Joy was a little forgettable.
October 5, 2026
Im Audiobuch war der Laugh track sehr störend. Die Geschichten waren durchwachsen - am besten erinnere ich mich an den Jungen, der gewachsen ist, während seine Eltern geschrumpft sind (interessante Metapher).
October 24, 2018
A delightful collection of short stories read before an audience. Some funny, some sad, all enjoyable.
February 17, 2021
I loved listening to these stories. I laughed at the performance of them and I look forward to reading all of them on paper or on kindle. Such a fun little compilation.
March 21, 2023
Funny stories told by great voices.
October 26, 2025
Liked most of the stories. A quick listen. Reminds me of listening to Moth Radio Hour.
March 28, 2026
This is a wonderful collection of short stories, each read aloud by a different narrator.
You will find some familiar classic stories here, from well known writers such as Shirley Jackson, Frank O'Connor, and Grace Paley, narrated by some equally well known people as actresses Jill Elkenberry and Linda Lavin, and they are all brilliantly presented
You will find some familiar classic stories here, from well known writers such as Shirley Jackson, Frank O'Connor, and Grace Paley, narrated by some equally well known people as actresses Jill Elkenberry and Linda Lavin, and they are all brilliantly presented
October 19, 2016
Another great accompaniment to a long car trip. I especially enjoyed "Charles" by Shirley Jackson and "First Confession" by Frank O'Connor. I did have a 3 1/2 year old along on the car trip with me and thought he'd enjoy hearing the one that was called "Solomon's Big Day: A Children's Story." That was a bit misleading. I had to turn that down very quickly. Definitely not a children's story.
April 21, 2017
3.5 stars as a whole. I know if I actually averaged the individual story scores, it would be a 3, but looking at the collection as a whole, the stories and narrators were really well chosen. Some of the stories just didn't resonate with me, and I didn't love any one story, but all were worthwhile. It's a collection of stories about children written for adults. All of them were enhanced by the delivery of the excellent narrators.
Shirley Jackson's "Charles" - Though the twist was quickly obvious, I enjoyed the experience of listening to this story, both due to the narrator Lois Smith's delivery and the audience reaction. (3 stars)
Frank O'Connor's "First Confession" - A lot of the charm of this story was in Malachy McCourt's narration, but there wasn't much plot to it. (2.5 stars)
Toure's "Solomon's Big Day: A Children's Story" - Interesting story about a child artist, and it's unclear if the whole incident was meant to be a dream. (3 stars)
Grace Paley's "The Loudest Voice" - Cute and humorous story with a strong young protagonist. This one seemed to have a missing element in audio, it seemed as if the audience was responding to something they saw on occasion. (3 stars)
Diane Leslie's "A Life of Crime" - Probably my favorite story in the collection, with strong characters and engaging dynamics between them. Wish I knew French, because from the audience reaction, there was humor in the few French phrases scattered throughout. (4 stars)
Etgar Keret's "Pride and Joy" - There was an element of magical realism to this story, but the plot, though unique, was rather simplistic. (2.5 stars)
Rick Moody's "Boys" - This story relied heavily on repetition, and while it's an interesting device, it soon felt a bit tedious to me. (2 stars)
Shirley Jackson's "Charles" - Though the twist was quickly obvious, I enjoyed the experience of listening to this story, both due to the narrator Lois Smith's delivery and the audience reaction. (3 stars)
Frank O'Connor's "First Confession" - A lot of the charm of this story was in Malachy McCourt's narration, but there wasn't much plot to it. (2.5 stars)
Toure's "Solomon's Big Day: A Children's Story" - Interesting story about a child artist, and it's unclear if the whole incident was meant to be a dream. (3 stars)
Grace Paley's "The Loudest Voice" - Cute and humorous story with a strong young protagonist. This one seemed to have a missing element in audio, it seemed as if the audience was responding to something they saw on occasion. (3 stars)
Diane Leslie's "A Life of Crime" - Probably my favorite story in the collection, with strong characters and engaging dynamics between them. Wish I knew French, because from the audience reaction, there was humor in the few French phrases scattered throughout. (4 stars)
Etgar Keret's "Pride and Joy" - There was an element of magical realism to this story, but the plot, though unique, was rather simplistic. (2.5 stars)
Rick Moody's "Boys" - This story relied heavily on repetition, and while it's an interesting device, it soon felt a bit tedious to me. (2 stars)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews