Ramblings of a web developer and sometimes writer
A love story centering around one woman who ends up with a brother when she should have been with the other. Very well written first person narrative that explores how love can blind one to the reality of pain and sorrow. Elyse is the woman in the story and she’s crafted as an enigma, a charming 20 something with a penchant for experience and fast love interests, marrying the brother after only a few months.
Andrew Martin
Harper’s Magazine, August 2024
July 25, 2024
Young love is burdened with death too early. A couple living in Ukraine deals with the cancer diagnosis of a woman. In the end, she grabbles with the pain and suffering that’s so common with cancer sentences. It’s a good look at what love means through various lenses, including the mother of the girls who we meet at the very end.
Artem Chapeye
The New Yorker, April 4, 2022
July 24, 2024
The story of a new mother finding her way in the world. The story spans a decade or so and follows the mother’s creative dearth, lost love, and found love. A neighbor gifts the daughter, a ten year old, a telescope, and the mother confronts the neighbor. Their ensuing friendship catalogues the various themes of the story.
Sarah Braunstein
The New Yorker July 29, 2024
July 23, 2024
Kaho goes on a blind date and the man tells her she’s ugly. It’s an odd story, for sure. In the end, she turns the experience into a children’s book that sells well, but the man never seems to be resolved. We’re left wondering what he might do, since he seemed to be threatening her.
Haruki Murakami
The New Yorker, July 8 & 15, 2024
July 8, 2024
The story of Arwen and his fascination with the Hadal zone, that area of the ocean where underneath the deeps are mountainous regions that would eclipse the size of the Rockies. The story follows him through his relationship with Carolla but ultimately he’s left alone, embracing the “Stygian darkness” as those around him betray him. He’s lost Carolla, first to the billionaire grifter, then later to the MAGA supporter Arwen, his one-time boss.
Annie Proulx
The New Yorker, July 8 & 15, 2024
July 6, 2024