This is the writer's voice, new fiction from the New Yorker. I'm Deborah Treisman,

fiction at the New Yorker. On this episode of the writer's voice we'll hear Tiffany Yannique

read her story God's Caravan from the November 4th 2019 issue of the magazine.

Yannique is the author of How to Escape from a Leper colony, a novella in Stories, and the novel

Land of Love and Drowning, which won the Center for Fiction's first novel prize in 2014.

Now here's Tiffany Yannique.

God's caravan.

The boys were crouched in the dirt, the marbles pinging between The

Buegues were crouched in the dirt, the marbles pinging between them.

Earl Lovett's biggie oily marble was blue and white,

like the earth seen from the heavens.

He'd already won 20 marbles by the time he noticed the music.

Back home in Ellen Wood, there was always singing or music playing all day, every day. The music was constant noise for Earl,

something easy for him to relegate to the back of his mind.

So his marble smashed straight, while the other boys jagged. Even Earl's cousin Brent, who had

taught him to pitch that summer couldn't keep up with Earl's streak. Earl had gotten so good

he wondered if he could grow up to be a marble player. His father was always going

on about finding a trade. Then the music arrived and the boys stood to

receive it except for Earl, who stayed crouched over his catch, watching the van cruise in, realizing the music a bit after the others.

I've come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee.

The electric megaphones were tied to the roof of the van as if the van itself were singing.

Earl carefully placed his trophies smooth as globes in his pockets.

...