{"id":29477,"date":"2022-01-24T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/?p=29477"},"modified":"2022-01-25T20:11:13","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T00:11:13","slug":"aysegul-savas-long-distance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/2022\/01\/24\/aysegul-savas-long-distance\/","title":{"rendered":"Ayseg\u00fcl Savas: “Long Distance”"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/span><\/div>

“Long Distance”<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Ayseg\u00fcl Savas<\/span>
\nfrom the January 31, 2022 issue of\u00a0The\u00a0<\/i>New<\/i>\u00a0Yorker<\/i><\/span><\/p><\/h3><\/div>

\"\"A<\/span>yseg\u00fcl Savas has had two pieces of fiction published in The New Yorker in the last few years, and each time I’ve been struck by her writing. She has two books out now, and I keep meaning to pick them up and read them. I still haven’t done that, though! Will this be the time?<\/p>\n

When the story begins, we are with Lea, as she’s preparing for the arrival of Leo:<\/p>\n

\n

Lea changed the sheets when she got up. She\u2019d bought flowers the previous day, tulips that she\u2019d put on the dresser. There were carnations on the kitchen table, in a squat glass vase. She thought they looked cheerful, and not too fussy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fridge was filled with more things than they would be able to eat: olives, jams, prosciutto, cheeses. She\u2019d bought wine and beer, cookies, breads, the round taralli crackers that were common in Roman caf\u00e9s.<\/span><\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t think they\u2019d be staying home very much\u2014there were so many places she wanted to take Leo\u2014but she had in mind a scene of the two of them eating in bed. Did people really do that? It seemed as though there would be too much mess, nowhere to put your plate. Still, she liked the idea: the sleepy indulgence, the sheets streaked with light\u2014the hour, in her imagination, was late afternoon, which may have been the reason for the beer, though this particular timing would require some planning, with everything else she wanted to do with him.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As she evaluates her preparation, Leo texts that he has arrived. The text is rather mundane: \u201cJust landed. Will take a taxi over as soon as I\u2019m out.\u201d Lea, though, keeps building this up in her mind:<\/p>\n

\n

I can\u2019t wait to get there<\/em>, she thought, alternatively. Or, Finally<\/em>. But maybe this was Leo\u2019s way of elevating the anticipation further, not allowing any release with words.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I’m excited to see where this goes. Please feel free to leave your thoughts below!<\/p>\n