Personals | “The Smoker,” by Ottessa Moshfegh

from The Paris Review · host The Paris Review

Ottessa Moshfegh reads her essay “The Smoker,” about renovating a house soaked in nicotine—and a haunting encounter with its former owner.This episode was produced by John DeLore and Helena de Groot, and was mixed by Helena de Groot. Our theme song for this series is “Bryant Park and Ride,” composed and performed by David Cieri.Moshfegh's essay can be found online at:https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2023/02/07/the-smoker/Subscribe to The Paris Review at www.theparisreview.org/subscribe.

What this episode covers

Ottessa Moshfegh reads her essay “The Smoker,” about renovating a house soaked in nicotine—and a haunting encounter with its former owner. This episode was produced by John DeLore and Helena de Groot, and was mixed by Helena de Groot. Our theme song for this series is “Bryant Park and Ride,” composed and performed by David Cieri. Moshfegh's essay can be found online at: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2023/02/07/the-smoker/ Subscribe to The Paris Review at www.theparisreview.org/subscribe.

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Personals | “The Smoker,” by Ottessa Moshfegh

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This episode was published on September 8, 2025.

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