This month’s story, ‘On The Agenda’ is very up to date, having been published in 2023. As a result, it has a strongly contemporary feel to it with allusions that situate it very firmly in that specific time. Note the little touches that help to do that. There are references to Covid and to meet ups having to be carried out over Zoom rather than in person. There is a discussion of the ‘woke’ debate and references to the popularity of TV reality competitions featuring such things as baking, decorating and fashion. As always, you’ll benefit most from this masterclass if you read the story yourself: www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/09/18/on-the-agenda-fiction-lore-segal
There is a very large cast of characters in this story, a group of ladies who regularly meet for lunch. They all have their own individual experiences and concerns, but there are also some common threads running through. As there are so many characters to choose from, I have just picked out a few who illustrate
