We love short stories. Join authors Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) and Dawnie Walton (The Final Revival of Opal & Nev) for author interviews, book club discussions, and immersive short stories. We celebrate storytelling from some of today's most thrilling writers, with an emphasis on spotlighting underrepresented voices. (Photo credits: Vanessa German / Rayon Richards) Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
32%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchWe love short stories. Join authors Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) and Dawnie Walton (The Final Revival of Opal & Nev) for author interviews, book club discussions, and immersive short stories. We celebrate storytelling from some of today's most thrilling writers, with an emphasis on spotlighting underrepresented voices.
Recent episodes include "Story: ‘Bitch Baby,’ by Halle Hill" (5 March 2025, 30 minutes), "[Free Teaser] Member Bonus: What Deesha and Dawnie Are Reading Right Now" (13 February 2025, 22 minutes), and "Destiny O. Birdsong on Navigating Censorship in Storytelling" (15 January 2025, 68 minutes).
Ursa Short Fiction publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 38 minutes across 44 episodes.
Booking probability for Ursa Short Fiction is 32%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Ursa Short Fiction requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Ursa Short Fiction's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for Ursa Short Fiction are Artists, Writers & Performers. Ursa Short Fiction has an arts audience.
Ursa Short Fiction is an arts podcast with 44 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Episode #13
Ursa Short Fiction is proud to present an original audio production of “Bitch Baby,” written by Halle Hill, from her debut collection, Good Women, and performed by Nytia Nikole. “Bitch Baby” is about two siblings...
Episode #13
In this Member Bonus episode, Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton talk about what they’re reading, writing, watching, and what they’re celebrating. What books and anthologies should we be on the lookout for in 2025? What...
Episode #11
Deesha and Dawnie talk with Destiny O. Birdsong, author of the poetry collection Negotiations and the novel Nobody’s Magic. Last year, Birdsong published a short story, “The Jump,” only to have it pulled from...
Episode #10
An Ursa Member Bonus! In a new recurring feature we call First Chapters, Dawnie and Deesha dig into the memorable opening chapter of Dawnie’s debut novel, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev. Dawnie talks about her journey...
Episode #8
Deesha and Dawnie introduce an Ursa original production of “Snow Bath Season,” a short story written by Stacie Denetsosie, and performed by Nasheen Sleuth. This story is about Diana, a young Navajo woman whose late...
Episode #7
Deesha and Dawnie sit down with their own agents, Danielle Chiotti and PJ Mark, to chat about the publishing industry. What does it mean to be a white agent representing authors of color? What are the gold standards for...
Episode #5
Deesha and Dawnie chat with Rion Amilcar Scott, sharing stories, craft advice, 90’s hip-hop references, and how experience as parents, as teachers, and as lovers of music can inform the writing process. They discuss...
Episode #4
In this special Member Exclusive episode, Deesha and Dawnie kick off a recurring feature we call Iconic Stories — starting with James Baldwin’s ‘Sonny’s Blues,’ first published in 1957 in the Partisan Review. They...
Episode #3
Deesha and Dawnie introduce an Ursa original audio production of “Telling Stories” by T.E. Wilderson, published in The Account magazine in 2021, and narrated by Jordan Cobb. Eighth grader, P’Mona, is sarcastic, witty...
Episode #2
In the spirit of Halloween, Deesha and Dawnie dig into thrillers, mysteries, and suspense with acclaimed crime fiction writer S.A. Cosby, author of the New York Times bestseller Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland...
Episode #1
We're back! Dawnie Walton and Deesha Philyaw give us a special sneak preview of what's in store for Season Three. Show notes: Support this season with a membership or one-time contribution, and get access to bonus...
Episode #1
Dawnie Walton and Deesha Philyaw introduce us to Reckon True Stories, a brand new podcast hosted by Deesha and acclaimed author Kiese Laymon, dedicated to all things nonfiction. Listen, then follow the show in your...
Episode #1
While we put the final touches on Season Three, we wanted to share an episode from another podcast that we think you’ll love: Black & Published, hosted by Nikesha Elise Williams. On today’s episode, Nikesha’s guest is...
Episode #21
Thanks to our guests, contributors, and listeners for a wonderful second season! Help us fund Season Three of Ursa Short Fiction by becoming an Ursa Member: https://ursastory.com/join/ You can also make a one-time...
Episode #20
Deesha and Dawnie chat with Denne Michele Norris, editor-in-chief of Electric Literature and author of the forthcoming debut novel, When The Harvest Comes (Random House). She is also the first Black, openly trans woman...
Episode #18
This week we’re excited to share a very special episode of Ursa Short Fiction — a Member Exclusive where Dawnie Walton chats with Deesha Philyaw about this week’s big news: Deesha has just signed a seven-figure book...
Episode #17
Deesha and Dawnie introduce “What Got Into Us,” a short story by Jacob Guajardo, performed by Vicki Valdeon. The story is a candid look into queer adolescence, first loves, recklessness, and unbridled vulnerability. It...
Episode #16
Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton go in-depth with Rubén Degollado, author of the novel The Family Izquierdo, which started out as a short story collection about a single family. Degollado's story “The Seven Songs” was...
Episode #15
This week we're thrilled to feature “The Seven Songs,” by Rubén Degollado, from his novel, The Family Izquierdo. The story is performed by Carolina Hoyos and is excerpted from The Family Izquierdo audiobook, produced by...
Episode #14
Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton go deep with Nafissa Thompson-Spires, author of the beloved 2018 collection Heads of the Colored People, to discuss Heads’ origin, the texts and other media that influenced...
Recent guests on Ursa Short Fiction. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
PitchCentric classifies Ursa Short Fiction under these industries. Guests from them are the closest fit, and each links to the best podcasts in that industry.
Shows with the most semantically similar episode content. Pitch one, pitch all; producers cluster.
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