News & Notes

Three Vivid, Varied Perspectives

Poetry in Our September Issue

The poems in our September issue invite me to share three vivid, varied perspectives. Luke Patterson’s prose poem “Extrication Day” offers a glimpse into the life of an EMT who sometimes needs his own rescue. In Luisa Muradyan’s “I Make Jokes When I’m Devastated,” the author deftly blends reflections on Jesus with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reminding us that humor and sorrow are both human responses to the unimaginable. And for a journey into the surreal, Ernest Ògúnyẹmí’s “The Dream” transports us through a mesmerizing landscape of the mind, where lush language and dreamlike imagery intertwine in a symphony of stars and music.

Listen to Poems from Our August Issue

The two poems in our August issue are like mirror images of each other, taking the same theme in reverse directions. In Nadia Colburn’s “August at Forty-Three,” a mother looks to the future, wishing for a child yet to be. The speaker in Jim Moore’s “Better Yet” looks back to his own origin, imagining a return to his “mother’s ocean.” You can enjoy these complementary visions by listening to the authors read their poems.

Reminiscing About School Days

Selections from the Archive

Our August issue looks at the way endings and beginnings are intertwined. This time of year the summer is winding down, and parents and children are gearing up for school. I miss the long cycle of the school year: the end and the new start. I rummaged around in The Sun archive for some pieces that could bring back that first-day feeling.

Listen to Poems from Our July Issue

Our July issue features two captivating—and very different—poems about animals. One is a gorgeous, ruminative piece that makes me feel as grounded as a stone in a stream. The other is a loving ode to a headstrong pet who can teach us all a lesson about taking charge of our lives.

Thoreau and Me

Read an Essay from an Upcoming Issue

If I had to pick a Sun author who comes closest to achieving a truly simple existence, it would be the poet Sparrow, who writes, “I don’t live off the grid, but I’m close. I live right on the edge of the grid.” Fittingly he wrote the following tribute to Henry David Thoreau.

The essay will appear in a forthcoming print issue of The Sun, but we’re sharing it early online in celebration of Thoreau’s birthday today, July 12.

Holidays in The Sun

Selections from the Archive

Our July issue features an essay by longtime Sun contributor Dave Zoby in which he describes driving across the Canadian wilderness en route to Casper, Wyoming, on Canada Day. Zoby didn’t realize it was Canada’s national holiday until he tried to visit a bakery that was closed for the day. Such can be the case for an American abroad.

It’s one of many pieces published in The Sun where a holiday plays a central role. To celebrate Independence Day, here are a few that have appeared in our pages over the years.

Taking Care

Selections from the Archive

The Sun’s June 2024 issue opens with Mark Leviton’s interview of Emily Kenway about the prevalence of people providing at-home care for loved ones. Caregiving is “a fundamental fact of loving someone with a human body,” Kenway observes, and many other pieces in the issue reflect how universally that care is needed. Keep reading for selections from our archive that explore the kaleidoscope of emotions that come with being responsible for another person’s well-being—devotion and grief, fear and comfort. Whether you’re giving or receiving care, we hope you’ll find a piece that speaks to you.

Listen to Poems from Our June Issue

Some of the poems I enjoy the most are about relationships. It amazes me how, in ten or twenty lines, authors can capture anything from a single memorable encounter to a lifelong connection. Three such poems are featured in our June issue with recordings of the authors reading their work.

Listen to Poems from Our May Issue

Most of us turn to fiction or memoir for great storytelling, but sometimes poetry fits the bill just as well. Listen as the authors’ recordings bring the three poems featured in our May issue to life.

Fun in The Sun

Selections from the Archive

The Sun isn’t exactly renowned for its humorous writing—readers are more liable to call us a sad magazine than to liken us to Mad magazine—but the truth is we like to laugh as much as the next gang of editors. If you enjoyed Finn Cohen’s interview about comedy with Kliph Nesteroff this month (“Two Guys Walk into a Bar”), or laughed at Andrew Gleason’s essay “Occupation: Fool,” then take a look at some of the funnier pieces we’ve printed.