News & Notes

A House Is Not a Home

For more than twenty-five years I worked in a two-story bungalow at 107 North Roberson Street in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. My office was on the second floor. I worked at that address, The Sun’s office, longer than I have lived in any house. I’m still The Sun’s senior editor, but I’ve been doing my job from home since March 2020, when the staff decided to work remotely because of the pandemic. Without a full staff coming in every day, activity at 107 North Roberson decreased drastically. Keeping an office where the handwritten editorial-planning calendar in the hall hadn’t been updated since the spring of 2020 seemed like a waste. The board of directors agreed: selling was the right thing to do. The buyer closed on the property in late April of this year. Despite all the logical, practical, convincing reasons for the sale, letting go wasn’t easy.

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.

New-Release Roundup

June 2024

The first half of 2024 has seen a variety of new publications by Sun authors—novels, poetry collections, essays, and memoirs. Keep reading to find descriptions of the books from their publishers, purchasing information, and links to some selections that first appeared in The Sun’s pages.

Upcoming Readers Write Deadlines

Walking Out, Tents, and Chores

There’s still time to submit to Readers Write on “Walking Out”! Be sure to get your entry to us by July 1, 2024—we’ve suggested a few potential prompts if you still need to get your creative juices flowing. And it’s never too early to start your first draft for an upcoming topic. . . .

Making Luxury Out of Flat Soda

A Poem from Frederick Joseph’s New Collection

We are celebrating the release of Frederick Joseph’s first book of poetry, We Alive, Beloved, from Row House Publishing. Frederick’s new poetry collection seeks to find joy in moments of difficulty whether through illuminating the beauty of being Black, highlighting the hope that can be found in childhood or by sharing intimate truths revealed on a mental-health journey.

What’s So Funny?

Andrew Gleason on Alternative Comedy

When Andrew Gleason began working at The Sun, I was immediately perturbed. In almost thirty years at the magazine I had never worked with another Andrew. A colleague suggested the newcomer could be known as Funny Andrew. That’s how I learned that Gleason did stand-up. While editing his essay in this month’s issue, “Occupation: Fool,” I learned a lot about my coworker’s past, but I wanted to find out more about his present.

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.

Upcoming Readers Write Deadlines

Luxuries, Walking Out, and Tents

There’s still time to submit to Readers Write on “Luxuries”! Be sure to get your entry to us by June 1, 2024—we’ve suggested a few potential prompts if you still need to get your creative juices flowing. And it’s never too early to start your first draft for an upcoming topic. . . .