Editor’s Note: Read Cynthia Ozick’s new short story “Late-Night-Radio Talk-Show Host Tells All.” “Late-Night-Radio Talk-Show Host Tells All” is a new story by Cynthia Ozick. To mark the story’s publication, Ozick and Oliver Munday, the associate creative director of the magazine, discussed the story over email. Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Editor’s Note: Read Hernan Diaz’s new short story “The Generation.” “The Generation” is a new story by Hernan Diaz. To mark the story’s publication in The Atlantic, Diaz and Oliver Munday, the associate creative director of the magazine, discussed the story over email. Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.Oliver Munday: Your story “The Generation” follows a 13-year-old in a grim future where the fate of humanity is in peril.
“Steve.”There is a pause.“Steve.”The tiny voice is adamant, frustrated.“Steeeeeeeeve.”The man does not look up.“Steve. Steve. Steve,” she chants.It is early—always early.Carter, his daughter, laughs. “You’re Steve.”That his name is Haiden has ceased to matter. He would love, simply, to go by Dad, or Daddy, but since her third birthday weeks ago, Carter has been stubborn—or dedicated, depending on his vantage.
In a lecture written shortly before his death, the Italian writer Italo Calvino extolled the virtues of lightness in literature. After decades of writing stories, novels, and essays, he had reached a realization: “My method has more often than not involved the subtraction of weight.” Life is heavy, and the writerly task of conveying its truths can be equally weighty.
Summer is a season for vacations, relaxation, and restoration. As such, it can prove an ideal time to return to the classic texts we all know and love (and with some well-earned, unencumbered attention to boot). Close and serious reading can happen anywhere: no matter if you’re splayed on a towel atop a sandy swath, or lounging on a back porch with a boozy spritz by your side. While the body enjoys the day’s languor, the mind must not burn out.
Editor’s note: This week’s newsletter is a rerun.
We’ll be back with a fresh newsletter next week.
I often think of fiction as fact’s partner in the pursuit of truth. At its best, the genre is capable of rendering the worlds we’re unable to imagine, and also of revealing the ones hidden around us. Last year, The Atlantic recommitted itself to publishing fiction with greater frequency.
Editor’s note: This week’s newsletter is a rerun.
We’ll be back with a fresh newsletter next week.
I often think of fiction as fact’s partner in the pursuit of truth. At its best, the genre is capable of rendering the worlds we’re unable to imagine, and also of revealing the ones hidden around us. Last year, The Atlantic recommitted itself to publishing fiction with greater frequency.
Editor’s Note: Read Karen Brown’s new short story, “Needs.” “Needs” is a new short story by Karen Brown. To mark the story’s publication in The Atlantic, Brown and Oliver Munday, the design director of the magazine, discussed the story over email. Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.Oliver Munday: Your story “Needs” takes place in a disquieting domestic setting in rural 1960s America.
Editor’s Note: Read Paul Yoon’s new short story, “Person of Korea.” “Person of Korea” is a new short story by Paul Yoon. To mark the story’s publication in The Atlantic, Yoon and Oliver Munday, the design director of the magazine, discussed the story over email. Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
I often think of fiction as fact’s partner in the pursuit of truth. At its best, the genre is capable of rendering the worlds we’re unable to imagine, and also of revealing the ones hidden around us. Last year, The Atlantic recommitted itself to publishing fiction with greater frequency.
Editor’s Note: Read Lauren Oyler’s new fiction, “Discovery.” “Discovery” is taken from Lauren Oyler’s forthcoming novel, Fake Accounts (available on February 2). To mark the story’s publication in The Atlantic, Oyler and Oliver Munday, a senior art director of the magazine, discussed the story over email. Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.Oliver Munday: “Discovery” is an excerpt from your debut novel, Fake Accounts.