Listen to the only recording of Shirley Jackson’s voice—as she reads two of her best stories aloud.

By Emily Temple

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October 27, 2023, 11:46am

This spooky season, why not get under the covers and let Shirley Jackson read to you?

It is possible, thanks to the magic of the internet. In 1960, five years before her death, Shirley Jackson recorded readings of “The Lottery” and “The Daemon Lover” for an outfit called Folkways Records—the only time we know of that she ever recorded performances of her own work.

In fact, according to Ruth Franklin in her 2016 biography, Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, this is “the only recording of her voice that still exists.” And her voice—suffice it to say that it is exactly what you want it to be. But don’t take my word for it. Listen here:

“The Lottery”

“The Daemon Lover”