I liked the Orbey piece a lot and don’t remember that much exploration of Turkish culture, but different things stick with different people. For me, what was missing was a bit more from his mother and sister, or about them. I know a thrust of the essay was their unwillingness to share certain things, but by the end it was a little frustrating to have so much information filtered through the one person who really doesn’t know what happened, either on that night or since. Even delving more deeply into some of the blank spaces, rather than continuing to circle them, would have gone a long way, I think. For instance, he mentions his sister’s writing often, which sounds incredible. More about why/how he became a writer and she didn’t, for instance, would have filled in some gaps.
Strong issue. My must reads were the Zadie Smith fall piece (which reminded me I need to get around to reading her new novel) and the New Haven pizza piece. Agreed that the Sedaris piece didn't have enough room to do anything interesting. I get the sense that it's pretty unfashionable to like him at this point, but most of what gets excerpted into the New Yorker is usually enjoyable. This one wasn't.
I liked the Orbey piece a lot and don’t remember that much exploration of Turkish culture, but different things stick with different people. For me, what was missing was a bit more from his mother and sister, or about them. I know a thrust of the essay was their unwillingness to share certain things, but by the end it was a little frustrating to have so much information filtered through the one person who really doesn’t know what happened, either on that night or since. Even delving more deeply into some of the blank spaces, rather than continuing to circle them, would have gone a long way, I think. For instance, he mentions his sister’s writing often, which sounds incredible. More about why/how he became a writer and she didn’t, for instance, would have filled in some gaps.
Strong issue. My must reads were the Zadie Smith fall piece (which reminded me I need to get around to reading her new novel) and the New Haven pizza piece. Agreed that the Sedaris piece didn't have enough room to do anything interesting. I get the sense that it's pretty unfashionable to like him at this point, but most of what gets excerpted into the New Yorker is usually enjoyable. This one wasn't.