LeVar Burton Reads

Embark on audio adventures through The Paris Review's fiction, poetry, interviews, archival recordings, and sonic imaginings with the likes of Toni Morrison, Simone de Beauvoir, Tennessee Williams, and today's leading writers. Featuring readings and writings from Charlotte Rampling, Philip Roth, Jason Alexander, Jenny Slate, Devendra Banhart, Danez Smith, Sharon Olds, Lucille Clifton, Molly Ringwald, Salman Rushdie, and more! Season 2 of The Paris Review Podcast is out NOW -- listen wherever you get your podcasts. More info at www.theparisreview.org/podcast.

A boy studies magic and escape artistry in 1930s Prague, hoping to become a member of an illustrious magicians' club. From Michael Chabon's THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY.  This episode is sponsored by Aspen Institute (www.aspenideas.org/podcast).

Twin girls are left with a babysitter in a haunted house. “The Specialist’s Hat” © 1998 by Kelly Link. Originally published in Event Horizon, 1998, and reprinted in Kelly Link’s Stranger Things Happen (Small Beer Press, 2001) and Kelly Link’s Pretty Monsters (Viking Books For Young Readers, 2008). This episode is sponsored by Villains (www.parcast.com/VILLAINS) and Native (www.nativedeodorant.com code: LEVAR).

An ordinary couple experiences an extraordinary event during a walk in the park. "Jump" was first published in LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE. Cadwell Turnbull's debut novel is THE LESSON.

In Stories with Friends, LeVar invites one of his friends to sit down for a conversation inspired by a short story or another piece of literature, giving them an excuse to talk about art, life philosophies, politics, and so much more. In this free episode, LeVar talks with Amanda Seales (HBO's Insecure, Small Doses) about Scholastic book fairs, Dorothy West's story "Mammy", and making space for intellectual conversation. Amanda's new book of essays is out October 22nd. It's called Small Doses: Potent Truths for Everyday Use. Find it at SmallDosesBook.com. You can find "Mammy" in one of these collections: https://www.amazon.com/Harlems-Glory-Black-Writing-1900-1950/dp/0674372697 https://www.amazon.com/Richer-Poorer-Dorothy-West/dp/0385471459

Get ready for our new bonus Premium series, Stories with Friends, featuring conversations with Laurence Fishburne, Brent Spiner, Aisha Tyler, Amanda Seales, Rob Delaney and Jesmyn Ward! Support our podcast and get a free month of premium listening at www.stitcherpremium.com/levar with the code LEVAR.

The owner of an unusual private museum picks up a hitchhiker sent to assassinate her. This story appears in Nisi Shawl's collection FILTER HOUSE. Content advisory: kidnapping and abduction

A castle's mysteries begin to slowly unravel. Content advisory: mentions of death, eugenics This episode is sponsored by Mythical Monsters podcast (www.parcast.com/mythicalmonsters)

A woman is haunted by her dreams of being a tiger.  This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp (www.betterhelp.com/levar code: LEVAR) and The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).

A woman in a troubled relationship loses her glasses at a rest stop along the highway, and the world shifts in and out of focus. Content advisory: explicit language, abuse From the forthcoming collection A BRIEF AND FEARFUL STAR, to be published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.  This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR) and Native (www.nativedeodorant.com code: LEVAR).

A team of peace-keepers investigate an inventor with an astonishing claim. This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp (www.betterhelp.com/levar code: LEVAR) and The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).

A girl scrutinizes the line between humans and robots when her grandmother is replaced with a replica. Content advisory: Death or dying, self-harming behaviors This episode is sponsored by There Will Come a Darkness, A Life Lived podcast, and The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).

A themed restaurant presents a very unique opportunity to its patrons. This story appears in N.K. Jemisin's collection HOW LONG 'TIL BLACK FUTURE MONTH? This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).

Two co-workers repossess a car to make some quick cash, and get mixed up in a surprising and much larger scheme. Content advisory tags: Blood, Road Collision This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).

A struggling college student gains new perspective on her studies from her classmate, who's come to study from another planet. This story was first published in Space and Time Magazine.  This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR) and Native (www.nativedeodorant.com code: LEVAR).