Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, host Jon Negroni reads aloud his magical realism story, "Magical Pork," which was originally published on Cetera in February 2025. Set in Oakland, this is the tale of Ruben, who runs a Puerto Rican food truck and discovers that his pernil has the power to feed an entire neighborhood without ever running out. Blending culinary tradition with community magic and emotional realism, the story explores hope, cultural heritage, and the miraculous ways food can transform strangers into family. Drawing from Jon's own Puerto Rican roots, it's a love letter to the power of shared meals.

You can find the written version of "Magical Pork" right here.

About the Author

Jon Negroni is a Puerto Rican author based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His published books include The Pixar Theory (Slimbooks, 2015), a pop culture nonfiction, and his debut novel Killerjoy (5050 Press, 2017). His recent short fiction includes "Men Who Are Strong" (IHRAM Press) and "Upon a Dream," an original fable published in The Fairy Tale Magazine. His upcoming anthology appearances include a cryptid horror tale, a speculative fiction piece for Neon Hemlock, and a superhero story for Oddity Prodigies. He's also the co-founder of the entertainment website, InBetweenDrafts.

Listen toward the end of the show for Jon’s full author’s notes on the making of this story.
Read "Magical Pork" with original artwork.
Explore our full archive of stories and poetry.
Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera.

About Cetera

Cetera is a literary magazine publishing original short fiction every Thursday. Our stories span literary fiction, speculative tales, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction. All written without AI assistance and curated by editor Natalia Emmons.

Credits
Host & Author: Jon Negroni
Editor: Natalia Emmons
Artwork: Jon Negroni
Music: "Opportunity Walks" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Share This Episode
If you enjoyed this story, please share it with fellow story lovers. Your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers. Thank you!

Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, host Jon Negroni reads aloud his magical realism story, "Magical Pork," which was originally published on Cetera in February 2025. Set in Oakland, this is the tale of Ruben, who runs a Puerto Rican food truck and discovers that his pernil has the power to feed an entire neighborhood without ever running out. Blending culinary tradition with community magic and emotional realism, the story explores hope, cultural heritage, and the miraculous ways food can transform strangers into family. Drawing from Jon's own Puerto Rican roots, it's a love letter to the power of shared meals.
You can find the written version of "Magical Pork"&nbsp;<a href="https://cetera.substack.com/p/magical-pork">right here.</a>
About the Author
Jon Negroni is a Puerto Rican author based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His published books include The Pixar Theory (Slimbooks, 2015), a pop culture nonfiction, and his debut novel Killerjoy (5050 Press, 2017). His recent short fiction includes "Men Who Are Strong" (IHRAM Press) and "Upon a Dream," an original fable published in The Fairy Tale Magazine. His upcoming anthology appearances include a cryptid horror tale, a speculative fiction piece for Neon Hemlock, and a superhero story for Oddity Prodigies. He's also the co-founder of the entertainment website, InBetweenDrafts.
Listen toward the end of the show for Jon&rsquo;s full author&rsquo;s notes on the making of this story.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cetera.substack.com/p/magical-pork">Read "Magical Pork"</a> with original artwork.</li>
<li><a href="https://cetera.substack.com">Explore our full archive</a> of stories and poetry.</li>
<li><a href="https://cetera.substack.com/p/submit-to-cetera">Submit your own story</a> to be featured on Cetera.</li>
</ul>
About Cetera
Cetera is a literary magazine publishing original short fiction every Thursday. Our stories span literary fiction, speculative tales, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction. All written without AI assistance and curated by editor Natalia Emmons.
Credits
<ul>
<li>Host &amp; Author: Jon Negroni</li>
<li>Editor: Natalia Emmons</li>
<li>Artwork: Jon Negroni</li>
<li>Music: "Opportunity Walks" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0&nbsp;<a href="Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a></li>
</ul>
Share This Episode If you enjoyed this story, please share it with fellow story lovers. Your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers. Thank you!

In a world that's always on fire, Thank God For Movies. Formerly known as Cinemaholics, join film critics Jon Negroni and Will Ashton as they discuss the latest films coming to theaters or streaming online.

In a world that's always on fire, Thank God For Movies. Formerly known as Cinemaholics, join film critics Jon Negroni and Will Ashton as they discuss the latest films coming to theaters or streaming online.