Fiction

To write a novel is to inhabit a dream. A dream that can last months or years, that transpires in everyday life; a dream that sometimes takes place in its very ... Read more

How would you describe the appeal of Cesare Pavese’s books? I think the appeal of Pavese’s work comes from the same place most writers’ appeal comes from: th... Read more

We asked Joe Dunthorne a few questions about his new novel. Five Dials How you were able to cut this scene from the book? In a novel about relationships, isn’... Read more

Under this moon, take care of the long bones of your thigh, the sockets of your hip. Do not drain your drinks; leave an inch in the glass. Can you feel your liv... Read more

In some societies, language is a way to restrain experience, take it down to a level where it might stay. It is neither ornament nor exaltation; it is firm and austere in its purpose. It is thus a form of calm, modest knowledge or maybe even evasion.

"The woman occupied a one-room dwelling at the very end of an alley, where the sunlight never quite reached."

"The female gays were quite young. Well, they didn’t look old yet."

"Rebecca spots Elizabeth’s name on the corner of a church pew. She is startled, yes, but not surprised."

"I did not know where he was. I had told him something that shocked him."

The Commission Commission for a short story, 300 – 400 words, an interior monologue, from the point of view of Ivanka Trump, as she attends a meeting with her ... Read more