meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

Miriam Toews Reads “Something Has Come to Light”

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

Fiction, Authors, Arts, New, Newyorker, Yorker

4.52.1K Ratings

🗓️ 17 August 2025

⏱️ 20 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Miriam Toews reads her story “Something Has Come to Light,” from the August 25, 2025, issue of the magazine. Toews, a winner of the Governor General’s Award for Fiction, is the author of eight novels, including “A Complicated Kindness,” “All My Puny Sorrows,” “Women Talking,” and “Fight Night.” A new memoir, “A Truce That Is Not Peace,” comes out this month.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

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

0:13.1

I'm Deborah Trisman, fiction editor at The New Yorker.

0:15.8

On this episode of The Writer's voice, we'll hear Miriam Taves read her story, Something Has Come to Light, from the August 25th, 2025 issue of the magazine.

0:25.7

Taifes, a winner of the Governor General's Award for Fiction,

0:28.1

is the author of eight novels, including A Complicated Kindness, All My Puney Sorrows,

0:33.7

Women Talking, and Fight Night.

0:36.2

A new memoir, A Truce That is not peace, comes out this month.

0:40.2

Now here's Miriam Taf's.

0:47.1

Something has come to light.

0:49.9

I trust I'll be in heaven when you read this,

0:52.7

although God, in his wisdom, may have other things in store for me.

0:57.0

Just yesterday afternoon, Kor asked me if I had ever thought I'd live this long, and I said,

1:01.6

No, not in a million years. What on earth am I doing here?

1:05.9

It isn't necessary for all of your parents to read this, especially not Sandra.

1:12.7

But Sandra, if you are reading this, please don't be angry with me. I love you very much. I think you know that.

1:19.2

I just wanted to tell you grandkids in confidence that all those school photos of you,

1:24.7

of all of you, from all 13 years, all 13 years from

1:28.3

kindergarten to grade 12, my goodness, there are so many, are in a thick blue photo album in the top

1:34.5

drawer of my bedside table. There's a Bible verse on the cover of the album, one from Psalms.

1:41.6

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.

1:45.9

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

1:51.4

You remember how Sandra hung those school photos up on thin silver cords in my living room

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 4 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from WNYC Studios and The New Yorker, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of WNYC Studios and The New Yorker and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.