In The New Yorker Fiction Podcast, Deborah Treisman interviews Nathan Englander about Chris Adrian's short story, "Every Night for a Thousand Years," which was published in The New Yorker in 1997. Englander shares his personal connection to Adrian, their time in the Iowa writing program, and the story's themes of empathy, loss, and the search for peace. The discussion explores Adrian's unique voice, the story's basis in Walt Whitman's life during the Civil War, and the use of fantastical elements and symbolism, such as birds and dreams. They delve into the story's exploration of love, faith, and the horrors of war, as well as the challenges of caring for others in the face of death and suffering.
