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Name five things you see, four things you hear, three things you smell, two things you touch, and one thing you taste. Repeatedly pick up the pacifier from the trash-strewn sidewalk and rub it with a disinfecting wipe. Taste is the hardest one!
Sitting in the kitchen while your baby naps, think about the last misunderstanding you had. Turn down the sound on the baby monitor and write about the misunderstanding from the other person’s perspective. Then write about the misunderstanding from your own perspective before the baby’s wails become loud enough to prompt a “checking in” text from your downstairs neighbor. Take your time with this one.
Write a story about an underground tunnel that leads someplace unexpected while you sit between a radiator and a diaper pail.
This story is from the July 29, 2024 edition of The New Yorker.
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This story is from the July 29, 2024 edition of The New Yorker.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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