Women and Children First, From HeartbrokeIn this excerpt from Chelsea Bieker’s new collection, one woman tries to right the sins of her past by … committing a few more in the present.
Other People’s KitchensIn this original piece of fiction from Bryan Washington, a private chef spends lockdown cooking for Houston’s wealthiest.
ByBryan Washington
fiction
OrgyIn this excerpt from Kaitlyn Greenidge’s latest work of fiction, a woman sneaks out to a sex party during the height of the pandemic.
ByKaitlyn Greenidge
fiction
The Low CountriesIn this short story by Brandon Taylor, a young deli worker in Iowa City spends a day with with an actor in town to promote a film.
ByBrandon Taylor
fiction
You Owe MeThe government’s system wasn’t made for couples like Dan and Sasha, but they followed the new rules anyway.
ByEliza Smith
fiction
Talking Around the Elephant in the RoomThey could publish books about bitcoin and black holes, but they couldn’t understand why it was important to have more diverse authors.
ByZakiya Dalila Harris
fiction
The CureShe enjoyed sex most when her lovers seemed satisfied.
Like Any Good Sidekick“Laura could take over as the heroine if the situation demanded it.”
ByEmily Gould
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A Sharpener of Knives“I typed ‘onion soup’ and ‘how to make’ into Explorer. I began to despair. I read the recipe. I read it again.”
ByJessi Jezewska Stevens
read with us
Room at the Table“Grace had the urge to introduce herself again, though that would be insulting.”
ByVanessa Hua
fiction
PicnicAn excerpt from Weather, a new novel about climate dread from the author of Dept. of Speculation.
ByJenny Offill
fiction
See It SlantWhen I was 19, a girl named K showed me what I was missing. Then she disappeared.
ByC Pam Zhang
fiction
Greta and the Baby“Things would be different for her daughter, she decided. She would tell her something more like the truth.”
ByKate Ristow
fiction
Lionesses“My mother-in-law is staying on our couch, indefinitely, because she’s sick, but also, she lost her house two weeks ago.”
ByLynn Steger Strong
fiction
Red at the BoneIn this excerpt from Jacqueline Woodson’s new novel, a teenage daughter reckons with her mother’s past.
ByJacqueline Woodson
fiction
‘On Account of the Beast’In this excerpt from Téa Obreht’s new novel, Inland, a frontierswoman awaits the return of her husband.
ByTéa Obreht
fiction
Discriminating PeopleHelen picked the Badlands for their honeymoon because her first fiancé once told her it was like camping on Mars. But she didn’t tell Jeremy that.
ByMaud Streep
fiction
‘All This, After a Lifetime Bet on One Woman’In an excerpt from Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s novel, Fleishman Is in Trouble, a woman struggling with middle age observes her recently divorced friend.
ByTaffy Brodesser-Akner
fiction
Future CatMaggie found a way to make time go forward. But what she really wanted was a way to look back.
ByXuan Juliana Wang
fiction
Day of RestSarah wanted her faith pristine enough to warrant a test. Then she met Jacob.