![]() Just before I left New York, I found myself in an unexpected position: clinging to the bars of the Jefferson Market Garden looking in. The first essay, ‘Peonies’, sets the tone: These essays ruminate intimately on life, art and relationships in the middle of a pandemic. As I read it, I could feel my personal understanding of the word ‘intimations’ changing to include an element of intimacy. They are written in the spirit of what she learned from the stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius: ‘Talking to yourself can be useful. It comprises six personal essays, which their author describes in her foreword as ‘small by definition, short by necessity’. ![]() This tiny book was written in the first half of 2020, when Covid-19 was running wild in New York City, where Zadie Smith teaches creative writing. ![]()
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