Dwight Garner

I look for novels to sort of understand why we're here, A, and B, to understand how can I live better? I mean, just, you know, what lessons do you have, Sheila, for me? And she tends to have a lot. The title of her 2010 novel was great. It was How Should a Person Be? And in a way, I think every novel asks that. And the fact that she was great enough to title a novel that is really terrific.

I look for novels to sort of understand why we're here, A, and B, to understand how can I live better? I mean, just, you know, what lessons do you have, Sheila, for me? And she tends to have a lot. The title of her 2010 novel was great. It was How Should a Person Be? And in a way, I think every novel asks that. And the fact that she was great enough to title a novel that is really terrific.

You know, I really am. I think that a lot of people read and think about what the world means and why we're here and how we can, you know, experience life a little more fully. And that means the small things and the large things. And that's sort of what I look for and the kind of things that I put into my commonplace book.

You know, I really am. I think that a lot of people read and think about what the world means and why we're here and how we can, you know, experience life a little more fully. And that means the small things and the large things. And that's sort of what I look for and the kind of things that I put into my commonplace book.

Let me see. One book I read this year that's really remained with me is Salman Rushdie's memoir, Knife. It's about how he was stabbed on stage in upstate New York in 2022. And, you know, it's a very dark and moving book. And it goes through enormous personal pain, physical pain. And yet the book is weirdly very funny. As he was being stabbed, he found himself thinking, oh, no, my Ralph Lauren suit.

Let me see. One book I read this year that's really remained with me is Salman Rushdie's memoir, Knife. It's about how he was stabbed on stage in upstate New York in 2022. And, you know, it's a very dark and moving book. And it goes through enormous personal pain, physical pain. And yet the book is weirdly very funny. As he was being stabbed, he found himself thinking, oh, no, my Ralph Lauren suit.

You know, he laughs about the fact that his surgeon's name was James Beard, you know, like the chef and cookbook writer. He writes, dear reader, never get a catheter. He wrote that his attacker looked like Novik Djokovic, the tennis player. He wrote that on the upside, he lost 55 pounds and his snoring and asthma improved.

You know, he laughs about the fact that his surgeon's name was James Beard, you know, like the chef and cookbook writer. He writes, dear reader, never get a catheter. He wrote that his attacker looked like Novik Djokovic, the tennis player. He wrote that on the upside, he lost 55 pounds and his snoring and asthma improved.

Yes, it was a sign of his sanity. You know, you felt, Salman, you're still with us, you know. And he, you know, sometimes in his work, his humor fails him a bit, at least in recent years. So it was great to see him in his full glory in this recent memoir.

Yes, it was a sign of his sanity. You know, you felt, Salman, you're still with us, you know. And he, you know, sometimes in his work, his humor fails him a bit, at least in recent years. So it was great to see him in his full glory in this recent memoir.

This is from Honor Levy's book, My First Book. He was giving knight errant, organ meat eater, byronic hero, haplogroup R1B. She was giving damsel in distress, pill popper pixie dream girl, haplogroup K. He was in his fall of Rome era. She was serving sixth and final mass extinction event realness. His face was a marble statue. Her face was an anime waifu. They scrolled into each other.

This is from Honor Levy's book, My First Book. He was giving knight errant, organ meat eater, byronic hero, haplogroup R1B. She was giving damsel in distress, pill popper pixie dream girl, haplogroup K. He was in his fall of Rome era. She was serving sixth and final mass extinction event realness. His face was a marble statue. Her face was an anime waifu. They scrolled into each other.

Well, we're talking about two young people who are texting and using emojis. And in reality, what these characters are, they're just kids. And this is the dance of their courtship in a way online, their mini courtship. It's a Book largely about, you know, kids being online, young people being online, and what that feels like now to be sort of almost permanently online.

Well, we're talking about two young people who are texting and using emojis. And in reality, what these characters are, they're just kids. And this is the dance of their courtship in a way online, their mini courtship. It's a Book largely about, you know, kids being online, young people being online, and what that feels like now to be sort of almost permanently online.

And a lot of the sentences, she's so up to date on the language and the lingo that half the time you barely understand what she's saying. I had to run to the dictionary, or at least to Google, several times to sort of understand what she was saying.

And a lot of the sentences, she's so up to date on the language and the lingo that half the time you barely understand what she's saying. I had to run to the dictionary, or at least to Google, several times to sort of understand what she was saying.

And the more you learn, the more you like it, because she just has a way, you feel like you're reading Anne Beatty about hippies in the early 70s, reading Honor Levy on these young kids online now.

And the more you learn, the more you like it, because she just has a way, you feel like you're reading Anne Beatty about hippies in the early 70s, reading Honor Levy on these young kids online now.

Yeah, you know, it's just, and we're all there, right? We all are online like half the time. And yet you find a writer who can really describe it, who can really get you there. And that's what writing does for us. It's the thing where things you felt, but never had anyone just nail it down, just like to get it right. And you say, holy cow, that's good writing.

Yeah, you know, it's just, and we're all there, right? We all are online like half the time. And yet you find a writer who can really describe it, who can really get you there. And that's what writing does for us. It's the thing where things you felt, but never had anyone just nail it down, just like to get it right. And you say, holy cow, that's good writing.