Books & Fiction: The Classicist Who Killed Homer

Plus: new poetry by Jiordan Castle and D. Nurkse; and Francisco Goldman’s new work of autofiction. View in browser | Update your preferences Books The Classicist Who Killed Homer How Milman Parry proved that the Iliad and the Odyssey were not written by a lone genius. By Adam Kirsch Essays & Criticism Books Francisco Goldman, Archivist and Alchemist of the Self In “Monkey Boy,” an autofictional avatar plunges into the past while struggling to stay afloat in the present. By James Wood Under Review The German Forester Who Wants the World to Idolize Trees Peter Wohlleben’s “The Hidden Life of Trees” became an unlikely best-seller, and now has a sequel. Does it matter if the books are full of questionable science? By Robert Moor Dept. of Returns The Joy of Crossing Paths with Strangers Now that the pandemic is winding down, there are a lot of plans to make. Still, it’s the unplanned encounters that I miss most. By Clare Sestanovich Books Briefly Noted “Phase Six,” “Walking on Cowrie Shells,” “The House of Fragile Things,” and “There Plant Eyes.” Poetry Poems “The Surrealist” “I don’t know what is // meant to be hidden / from me.” By Jiordan Castle Poems “A Clearing on Ruth Island” “I did not expect another summer, another child, so much darkness.” By D. Nurkse The Writer’s Voice The Writer’s Voice: Fiction from the Magazine Bryan Washington Reads “Foster” The author reads his story from the June 14, 2021, issue of the magazine. From the Archive Fiction “The Stone” From 2019: a short story by Louise Erdrich, who won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in fiction yesterday for her novel “The Night Watchman.” By Louise Erdrich More from The New Yorker The New Yorker Interview Julian Casablancas Wants a Better New York The singer led the city’s rock revival. As a supporter of the mayoral candidate Maya Wiley, he’s thinking much bigger. By Naomi Fry The Current Cinema Harmony Rules in “In the Heights” Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical presents an uplifting portrait of a Dominican neighborhood in New York where political strife rarely intrudes. By Anthony Lane You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for Books & Fiction from The New Yorker. 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.