S2E4 | Lift and Fall (with Tennessee Williams, Charles Wright, Bill Callahan, J.M. Holmes, Anne Sexton, and Jenny Slate)
The Paris ReviewShow Notes
Singer/songwriter Bill Callahan reads “Laguna Blues,” a poem by former U.S. poet laureate Charles Wright; J.M. Holmes reads his Pushcart Prize–winning story “What’s Wrong with You? What’s Wrong with Me?”; seminal dramatist Tennessee Williams describes his daily rituals in an archival interview; and comedian Jenny Slate channels Anne Sexton in her reading of the poet’s “Admonitions to a Special Person.”
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A special production of Anne Carson’s “I Don’t Do Innocents," which first appeared in issue no. 253 (Fall 2025). Produced by Complicité for The Paris Review, directed by Simon McBurney, and featuring Carson herself reading the stage directions, this radio play takes place during a wedding party as the bride’s younger sister eavesdrops from the roof through a drainpipe.
Jordy Rosenberg reads his story “My Life, by Barbara Rosenberg,” from issue no. 253 (Fall 2025), told from the perspective of Barbara, a mother from Brooklyn who is ready to battle a corduroy blazer and the child who wants to wear it freely. This episode was produced by John DeLore, Lori Dorr, and Emily Stokes. The music used in this episode is “Gamelan Ornaments,” composed and performed by David Cieri. Rosenberg’s story can be read online at: https://www.theparisreview.org/fiction/8430/my-life-by-barbara-rosenberg-jordy-rosenberg Subscribe to The Paris Review at www.theparisreview.org/subscribe.
Joseph Earl Thomas reads his essay “I Got Snipped: Notes after a Vasectomy,” about the best sexual decision he ever made. This episode was produced by John DeLore and Helena de Groot, and was mixed by John DeLore. Our theme song for this series is “Bryant Park and Ride,” composed and performed by David Cieri. Joseph Earl Thomas’s essay can be found online at: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2024/08/01/i-got-snipped-notes-after-a-vasectomy/ Subscribe to The Paris Review at www.theparisreview.org/subscribe.
Lisa Carver reads an essay about visiting two strip clubs with her French husband: first the Moulin Rouge, then a dive bar in Bedford, New Hampshire. At the Moulin Rouge, she has a revelation: “Even though the women had naked boobies, they still looked like angels. I think angels do have naked boobies, now that I’ve seen this show.” This episode was produced by John DeLore and Helena de Groot, and was mixed by Helena de Groot. Our theme song for this series is “Bryant Park and Ride,” composed and performed by David Cieri. Lisa Carver’s essay can be found online at: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2023/09/13/two-strip-clubs-paris-and-new-hampshire/ Subscribe to The Paris Review at www.theparisreview.org/subscribe.
Mihret Sibhat reads her essay “Wax and Gold and Gold,” about a friendship she formed with a prostitute in Addis Ababa while attempting to teach her about Jesus. This episode was produced by John DeLore and Helena de Groot, and was mixed by John DeLore. Our theme song for this series is “Bryant Park and Ride,” composed and performed by David Cieri. Mihret Sibhat’s essay can be found online at: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2023/08/03/wax-and-gold-and-gold/ Subscribe to The Paris Review at www.theparisreview.org/subscribe.