New Fiction by David Means—An Interview with Fleur Jaeggy—Sylvia Plath

Plus: strange, eerie tales for this spooky season; and two new books about declining insect populations. View in browser | Update your preferences Fiction “The Depletion Prompts” “Write at least six versions of the story, using different points of view, until you realize that the one with the sad ending is impossible to finish.” By David Means This Week in Fiction David Means on Writing Prompts and the Imagination The author discusses “The Depletion Prompts,” his story from the latest issue of the magazine. By Cressida Leyshon Fiction “Are You Experienced?” If you liked “The Depletion Prompts,” we think that you’ll enjoy this story, from 2019. By David Means Books & Culture The New Yorker Interview Fleur Jaeggy Thinks Nothing of Herself A conversation with the reclusive author of “Sweet Days of Discipline” and “The Water Statues” about writing, silence, and the soul. By Dylan Byron Books Where Have All the Insects Gone? Scientists who once documented new species of insects are now charting their perilous decline—and warning about what it will mean for the rest of us. By Elizabeth Kolbert Double Take Strange Tales from The New Yorker’s Archive A collection of eerie seasonal stories. By The New Yorker On This Day Books Sylvia Plath’s Last Letters On Sylvia Plath’s birthday, revisit the letters that helped the young poet develop her sense of herself: “I am the girl that Things Happen To,” she wrote to her mother, at age twenty. By Dan Chiasson More from The New Yorker American Chronicles Brené Brown’s Empire of Emotion How a Texan’s stories teach a nation to be vulnerable. By Sarah Larson The Art World The Insurrection of Surrealism A survey at the Metropolitan Museum shows how the craze for Surrealism surged around the world. By Peter Schjeldahl 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.