2021-10-02
37 分钟Donald Antrim joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “The Balloon,” by Donald Barthelme, which was published in The New Yorker in 1966. Antrim is the author of three novels and the story collection “The Emerald Light in the Air.” His memoir, “One Friday in April: A Story of Suicide and Survival,” will be published this month. “The Balloon” (c) 1966, by Donald Barthelme, performed with permission of the Wylie Agency, LLC.
This is the New Yorker fiction podcast from the New Yorker magazine.
I'm Deborah Treisman, fiction editor at the New Yorker.
Each month we invite a writer to choose a story from the magazine's archives to read and discuss.
This month we're going to hear the Balloon by Donald Barthelme, which was published in the New Yorker in April of 1966.
This ability on the part of the balloon to shift its shape to change was very pleasing, especially to people whose lives were rather rigidly patterned.
Persons to whom change, although desired, was not available.
The balloon, for the 22 days of its existence offered the possibility, in its randomness, of getting lost.
The story was chosen by Donald Antrim, the author of three novels and the story collection the Emerald Light in the air.
His memoir, one Friday in April, a story of suicide and survival, will be published this month.
Hi, Donald.
Hey, how are you doing?
All right.
So in one of the first podcasts in this series, in 2007, you read and talked about a different Donald Barthelme story.
I bought a little city.
Right.
And what made you choose Barthelme again?
I love Donald Barthelme, for one.
And the balloon is one of my favorite stories of all time.
It seemed too short to read for this, but it's not.
Apparently I have a soft spot.