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 Anne Enwright read her story, Night Swim,

from the March 9th, 2020 issue of the magazine.

Enwright is the author of three short story collections and seven novels, including The Gathering,

which won the Man Booker Prize in 2007, and actress which was published this month.

Now here's Anne Enright.

Night Swim.

She was driving Ben to a friend's house and this added journey was the cause of some irritation in her day. She had too much else to do.

Though she did like the privacy of the car, the feeling of his voice coming over her shoulder as she checked the mirror and slowed to make a turn.

He was up on the booster seat. Ben was small for eight and he looked out the window at suburban streets and parked

cars while she used his mobile hard to read the little arrow through the disaster of Ben's cracked screen, the thing was rarely

out of his hand unless he dropped it. Now he looked out on the real world as no mildly surprised

it was there. I don't like Barry McIntyre, he said. No, why not? They had

their best chance in the car. If they'd been at home he would have said to know or just. In the car he said things like

I like boys though. I do like boys. Of course you do. She wondered why he couldn't speak when they were face to face.

What was it about her eyes on him that made him shrug and shift under his clothes?

You are a boy. I know that, he said. Of course she was his mother so when she looked at him she was always checking him over to adjust or admire

though she tried not to she really tried not to turn into the kind of woman who said sit sit up straight shore, leave your hair alone.

Well then, she glanced at the rearview mirror and saw only the side of his head.

His coarse hair was darkening through the winter.

In a year or two, it would be fully brown.

I just hate basketball, do you? I really do. Recently he'd used the word gay as an insult.

...