A great story set in India and from the perspective of a younger brother who’s in the shadow of his academically talented older brother. There’s a great deal of artistry in the short story form with this story. There’s the brother who considers his younger brother to be sitting on the fence of life, asking him if he needs ice for his ass at one point. But the other characters in the story who are sedentary are more like artists and experts. The father’s saxophone teacher is one such expert.
Author
Madurai Vijay
Publication
The New Yorker, November 21, 2025
Date Read
November 23, 2025