Books & Fiction: John McPhee’s Personal Essay, “Tabula Rasa: Volume Two”

Plus: Damon Galgut’s new novel, and new poetry from Katie Condon and Arthur Sze. View in browser | Update your preferences Personal History Tabula Rasa: Volume Two A project meant not to end. By John McPhee Essays & Criticism Books A Family at Odds Reveals a Nation in the Throes Damon Galgut’s novel “The Promise” explores the betrayals of South Africa through a perfectly pitched domestic drama. By James Wood Page-Turner How New York Was Named For centuries, settlers pushed Natives off the land. But they continued to use indigenous language to name, describe, and anoint the world around them. By Joshua Jelly-Schapiro Books Briefly Noted “Horizontal Vertigo,” “Halfway Home,” “The Seed Keeper,” and “Abundance.” Newsletters Sign Up for The New Yorker’s Daily Humor Newsletter Cartoons and more funny stuff in your in-box. Poetry Poems “Farolitos” “We sight the flames // and, swaying within, know the future’s fathomless.” By Arthur Sze Poems “This House” “When the rain begins, I wake up.” By Katie Condon The Writer’s Voice The Writer’s Voice: Fiction from the Magazine Jonas Eika Reads “Alvin” The author reads his story from the April 19, 2021, issue of the magazine. More from The New Yorker Photo Booth The Timeless Pleasures of Dawoud Bey’s Street Portraits His pictures make me think about the times I’ve walked down the street feeling invisible, until I pass another Black person who holds my gaze long enough for us to exchange a nod. By Hanif Abdurraqib Letter from the U.K. How We Fell in Love in Lockdown The artist Philippa Found compiled hundreds of written accounts of love in the time of COVID-19 for a project called “Lockdown Love Stories.” By Anna Russell You're receiving this e-mail because you signed up for . Was this e-mail forwarded to you? Sign up. Unsubscribe | Manage your e-mail preferences | Send newsletter feedback | View our Privacy Policy Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.