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 Han Hong read his story, Hammer Attack,

from the January 16th, 2023 issue of the magazine.

Hong, the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship in the Berlin Prize, is the author of more

than a dozen plays and two novels, Fixer Chow and the Disinherited.

Now here's Han Hong.

Hammer Attack

Three Virgin Mary's kept their bellful eyes on the back of Alan's head, but more powers

were needed of clemency of healing, so to accompany the Dolores mothers, somebody had also

a tape to the wall behind Alan's hospital bed, half a dozen Jesuses, a few were laminated,

the famous last supper painting, and a grave-looking figure who Alice, one of Alan's sisters, told

Gina, was St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes of last hope.

I said to Gina, the school I went to in Manila was called St. Jude.

It was next to the church, also called St. Jude, where hundreds of people went from mass.

In Jude is a very popular saint with a Filipinos, I added, although if Gina hadn't asked

and Alice hadn't told her, I would not have been hip to this figure's identity.

It had been a long time since I'd given any thought to my boyhood, devoutness, obedience,

my family.

Alan was in some ways a kindred spirit.

His one-word self-description at our first book group gathering was lapsed.

What did he mean?

...