Thomas Beller tells the story of how we go from innocently amusing ourselves, to less innocent activities—all in the pursuit of happiness. It's an excerpt from his novel The Sleep-over Artist. (7 minutes)
More in Fiction
Act Three: Fraught Couture
A government agent steals a suit that’s supposed to make her invisible.
Act Four: Resurrection
Writer Brady Udall with another story about what animals can take the place of, in our lives and in our homes—this one involving an armadillo.
Act One: Lopsided Tannenbaum
A fictional story written and read by Maile Meloy about a family that encounters two peculiar strangers in the snow on Christmas Day.
Staff Recommendations
I'm From the Private Sector and I'm Here to Help
Nancy Updike goes to Iraq to try to figure out what it's like to be a private citizen working in the middle of a war zone.
What Happened at Dos Erres
A Guatemalan immigrant living near Boston gets a phone call with some very strange news about his past.