The Summer Wardrobe Cometh

The dress that’s so long you drag half of all nature behind you.

Daily Cartoon: Tuesday, July 4th

“Oh, my God, Janice—it’s happening again.”

How Samuel R. Delany Reimagined Sci-Fi, Sex, and the City

A visionary novelist and a revolutionary chronicler of gay life, he’s taken American letters to uncharted realms.

Hiromi Kawakami on Communalism in Japan

The author discusses “The Kitchen God,” her story from the latest issue of the magazine.

Billing the Hospital Billing Department

Fee for lost sleep over the huge bill that should have been entirely covered by insurance: $300 per hour.

“Colorín Colorado,” by Camille Bordas

“I should have said earlier that Addie died last summer, while filming the last part of the trilogy that made her famous.”

A Pet You Can Return, for the Hamptons Set

Homestead Ida and Farmer Joe, who work for a chicken-rental service, check in on the chicken mommies and daddies out east.

Jhumpa Lahiri on Parties as Parentheses

The author discusses “P’s Parties,” her story from the latest issue of the magazine.

The Mail

Letters respond to Louisa Thomas’s profile of Daniel Bard, Amanda Petrusich’s piece about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and Zach Helfand’s Talk of the Town story on pronunciation.

A Family Wedding

Outside the hall, the war raged on.

A Big-Ass Canoe Goes the Distance

A group of paddlers braved four-foot swells, the Russian mob, and yahoos in powerboats on a watery fifteen-hundred-mile journey from Maine and back.

The Jimi Hendrixes of Korea Go Shoe Shopping

The members of ADG7, a shamanic folk band, explain how they recovered after an airline lost their costumes and all their instruments.

Briefly Noted Book Reviews

“The Lost Sons of Omaha,” “Natural Light,” “A History of Burning,” and “The Book of Eve.”

Russia’s Accidental No-Good, Very Failed Coup

The Russia experts Masha Gessen and Joshua Yaffa on the aftermath of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s armed mutiny.

The Tyranny of the Tale

We’re told that story will set us free. But what if a narrative frame is also a cage?

On Killing Charles Dickens, by Zadie Smith

I did everything I could to avoid writing my historical novel. When I finally started “The Fraud,” one principle was clear: no Dickens.

Sergio García Sánchez’s “On the Same Page”

The artist discusses motion, stillness, and his love of libraries.

The Ice-Cream Truck

When you hear an ice-cream truck on your street, it means that someone has thought of you. It means that someone thinks you deserve something good.

Daily Cartoon: Monday, July 3rd

“Aren’t you glad we woke up early to nap here?”

Camille Bordas Reads “Colorín Colorado”

The author reads her story from the July 10 & 17, 2023, issue of the magazine.