This is The Writer's Voice, new fiction from The New Yorker.

I'm Debra Treesman, fiction editor at The New Yorker.

On this episode of The Writer's Voice, we'll hear Aisha Ghul-Savush, read her story

long distance from the January 31st, 2022 issue of the magazine.

Savush's first novel, Walking on the Sealing, was published in 2019, and her second novel,

White on White, came out last year.

Now here's Aisha Ghul-Savush.

Long distance.

Leah changed the sheets when she got up.

She'd bought flowers the previous day, tulips that she'd put on the dresser.

There were carnations on the kitchen table in a squat glass vase.

She thought they looked cheerful and not too fussy.

The fridge was filled with more things than they would be able to eat.

Olive's jams, prosciutto, cheeses.

She bought wine and beer, cookies, breads, the round tarali crackers that were common

in Roman cafes.

She didn't think they'd be staying home very much.

There were so many places she wanted to take Leo, but she hadn't mind a scene of the

two of them eating in bed.

Did people really do that?

It seemed as though there'd be too much mess, nowhere to put your plate.

Still she liked the idea.

...