This is the writer's voice, new fiction from the New Yorker. I'm Deborah

Treisman fiction at the New Yorker. This week's issue of the magazine is an archival issue and we'd

like to accompany it with an episode of the writer's voice featuring an archival story, The

Naturals by Sam Lipsite, which was published in the May 5th, 2014 issue of the magazine.

Lipsite is the author of eight books of fiction, including the story collection The Fun Parts,

and the novels The Ask, and No One Left to Come looking for you, which was published in 2022.

Now here's Sam Lipsite.

The Naturals Caperton's stepmother, Stel, called.

Your father, Stel said.

Larry, Caperton said.

He's dying. You can say dad.

He's done deathbed before.

It's different, Stelle said.

The doctors agree now.

And your father, well, no grand speech is about not going gentle for one thing.

For another he looks out of it, pushed down, he shops online, he watches TV, I think

you should be here.

Command performance?

Don't be a crumbum.

Kaperton took the short flight from O'Hare to Newark on one of the new boutique lines. Shortbred, cappuccinos, and

sea-saulted nuts in great jars, sated travelers, Gratas at the gate.

The In-flight magazine resembled an avant-garde culture

...