New Yorker Fiction editor Deborah Triesman (who has the most beautiful, calming tone to her voice) asks short story authors to read their favorite New Yorker story and talk about it after. I love short stories, but I don’t always grasp it like I want to, and am left agonizing over what I missed.
My favorites:
Jhumpa Lahiri reads Primo Levi
Ottessa Moshfegh reads Sheila Heti
Donald Antrim reads Donald Barthelme
Will Mackin reads George Saunders
Rachel Kushner reads Edna O’Brien
Sterling HolyWhiteMountain reads Roberto Bolaño
A great place to discover new writers. This is where I found my current favorite - Ottessa Moshfegh. I started off with short stories, then read every single book she wrote so far.
For short stories: Distant Star by Roberto Bolaño, he makes all his stories feel like an adventure, they stretch decades and lifetimes. Cathedral by Raymond Carver, really highlights the sadness and absurdity of regular life with characteristically dry and comic style. Short Novels:
I've recommended Kokoro by Sōseki on here before, but it's really great. Clock Without Hands by Carson McCullers is a great novel. Some really good Southern gothic.
orbital - samantha harvey
the mortal and immortal life of the girl from milan - domenico starnone
small things like these AND foster - both by claire keegan
five-carat soul - james mcbride (short stories but they go by quick)
lie with me - philippe besson
if an egyptian cannot speak english - noor naga
the boy and the dog - hase seishū
home - toni morrison
scattered all over the earth AND the emissary - both by yoko tawada
franny and zooey- j. d. salinger
the black tree atop the hill - karla yvette
the white card - claudia rankine
Statology A5 notebook
- I usually carry around a blotter-sized, thinner notebook from Atlas Stationers but recently finished it
Fossil bag my friend Joe was going to throw out
- I threw up in my usual vintage Coach bag last week from a migraine (ubering home from work at 9:30AM)
Cigarette case w ID and 2 Chanel lipsticks
- I have a real affinity for lipsticks as I wear it all the time. The chanel is worth way more than the pricepoint, and I only use the two shades
Pepper spray gun
Airpods
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
Business card from Michael Gaylord (a Chicago great)
Pens, rouge stylo