Personals | “The Smoker,” by Ottessa Moshfegh

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-rosenbergSubscribe 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.

“When people see your truck, they tend to see what you can do for them,” J. D. Daniels writes in his essay about a black Nissan hardbody pickup he owned many years ago.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.J. D. Daniels’s essay can be found online at:https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2024/11/15/what-i-want-to-say-about-owning-a-truck/Subscribe to The Paris Review at www.theparisreview.org/subscribe.

Ottessa Moshfegh reads her essay “The Smoker,” about renovating a house soaked in nicotine—and a haunting encounter with its former owner.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.Moshfegh's essay can be found online at:https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2023/02/07/the-smoker/Subscribe to The Paris Review at www.theparisreview.org/subscribe.

“Personals” is a new audio series from The Paris Review, featuring writers reading first-person essays. Featuring essays from Ottessa Moshfegh, Mihret Sibhat, Joseph Earl Thomas, Lisa Carver, and J.D. Daniels. The series is produced by Sophie Haigney, Lori Dorr, Olivia Kan-Sperling, John DeLore, and Helena de Groot.Many thanks to our sponsor: MUBI. MUBI is the curated streaming service dedicated to championing great cinema. Get 30 days free at M-U-B-I.com/theparisreview.

The Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist Joy Williams reads entries from “Concerning the Future of Souls” (issue no. 247, Spring 2024), a collection of stories following Azrael, the angel of death and transporter of souls. This episode was produced by John DeLore and Helena de Groot, and was mixed and sound-designed by John DeLore. Our theme song this season is “Shadow,” composed and performed by Ernst Reijseger. Additional Links: https://www.theparisreview.org/fiction/8252/concerning-the-future-of-souls-joy-williams Subscribe to the Paris Review

In Zach Williams’s “Trial Run” (issue no. 239, Spring 2022), an employee is subjected to two coworkers’ conspiracy theories when their office is targeted by an anonymous white supremacist hacker. The story is read by Michael Chernus, Danny Mastrogiorgio, and Gabriel Marin. This episode was produced by John DeLore and Helena de Groot, and was mixed and sound-designed by John DeLore. Our theme song this season is “Shadow,” composed and performed by Ernst Reijseger. Additional Links:  www.theparisreview.org/fiction/7873/trial-run-zach-williams Subscribe to the Paris Review

“We were thirteen and conspiratorial and what was said is now out of reach.” Jim Fletcher reads Peter Orner’s “Foley’s Pond” (issue no. 202, Fall 2012), a quietly devastating short story about the effects of a tragic accident on a boy and his community. This episode was produced by John DeLore and Helena de Groot, and was mixed and sound-designed by John DeLore. Our theme song this season is “Shadow,” composed and performed by Ernst Reijseger. Additional Links: https://www.theparisreview.org/fiction/6173/foleys-pond-peter-orner Subscribe to the Paris Review