New Fiction by David Wright Faladé — A “Beowulf” for Our Moment — Revisiting Hurricane Katrina

Plus: a long walk through the complex history of California. View in browser | Update your preferences Fiction The Sand Banks, 1861 “We were children yet, but not children for long. Such was the life of a slave.” By David Wright Faladé This Week in Fiction David Wright Faladé on Complicated Backstories The author discusses “The Sand Banks, 1861,” his story from this week’s issue of the magazine. By Cressida Leyshon 20 Under 40 Fiction “Dayward” If you liked “The Sand Banks, 1861,” we think you will enjoy this story, from 2010. By ZZ Packer Essays & Criticism Under Review Why Hurricane Katrina Was Not a Natural Disaster Fifteen years ago, New Orleans was nearly destroyed. A new book suggests that the cause was decades of bad policy—and that nothing has changed. By Nicholas Lemann Books A “Beowulf” for Our Moment Maria Dahvana Headley’s revisionist translation infuses the Old English poem with feminism and social-media slang. By Ruth Franklin Page-Turner A Long Walk Through the Complex History of California Nick Neely trains an uncommonly sensitive eye on the Golden State in his book “Alta California.” By Alex Ross More from The New Yorker Onward and Upward with the Arts How Wagner Shaped Hollywood The composer has infiltrated every phase of movie history, from silent pictures to superhero blockbusters. By Alex Ross On Television Rewatching “Black Journal” Five Decades On The pioneering news show, launched in 1968 and now available to stream, had soul and an insider energy. By Doreen St. Félix This e-mail was sent to you by The New Yorker. To insure delivery, we recommend adding newyorker@newsletters.newyorker.com, to your contacts, while noting that it is a no-reply address. Please send all newsletter feedback to tnyinbox@newyorker.com. For more from The New Yorker, sign up for our newsletters, shop the store, and sign in to newyorker.com, where subscribers always have unlimited access. Contact us with questions. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2020. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.