In his book of short stories, Beware of God, Shalom Auslander kicks and screams at all things divine, yet can never quite let go. In one story, God orders a man to get supplies from Home Depot to build an ark; in another he reveals himself as a chicken, causing both spiritual and dietary confusion. At once poignant and wickedly funny, Auslander’s stories remind us that blasphemy can be its own form of observance. Raised in an Orthodox home, he fled his family as a young man and began writing fiction as a way of understanding the distance he had traveled. Listen in to this unique conversation with Ira Glass, the producer and host of This American Life.

Recorded Monday, April 03, 2006 at Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago Campus.