Hi everyone,
First, I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be at this year’s the New Yorker Fest this fall, in conversation with Zadie Smith, hosted by Deborah Treisman. You can get tickets here.
I can’t wait for this chance to talk with Zadie and Deborah, both of whom I admire so much. Zadie’s recent novel, The Fraud, was, I thought, a deeply consoling masterpiece - one of those books that restores a person’s faith in the power of the written word. And Deborah is one of the great story-minds of our time and a miraculous editor of prose…
The Festival itself is, as those of you who’ve attended know, a wild celebration of the arts and culture, beautifully curated, always inspiring.
Speaking of Deborah Treisman, Story Club member Richard Hurowitz recently interviewed Deborah about The New Yorker’s 100th Anniversary anthology. You can read the interview here.
Finally, I wanted to congratulate my Syracuse colleague Bruce Smith on his new book of poems, Hungry Ghost, just published by Arrowsmith Books. Bruce is an amazing, big-hearted poet (and person, and colleague), whose book The Other Lover was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer. He also (very impressive to me) played minor-league baseball in Philadelphia. Here, if you don’t know his work, is a lovely poem called Baseball: Devotion. Other poems are available at Poetry Foundation.
See those of you who are paid subscribers on Sunday, for some further thoughts on Ivan Bunin’s “Light Breathing.” Your comments, by the way, were phenomenally interesting and intense.
George, you won’t remember but you were very kind and encouraging to me before I was published. I’ve never forgotten your kindness. PS I know you probably won’t see this :)
That Ghost book has one freaky cover. Little lamb who made thee this ain't. I'm guessing : )