Freeman's: Conclusions - by John Freeman (Paperback)

About the Book

"Featuring new work from Rebecca Makkai, Aleksandar Hemon, Rachel Khong, Louise Erdrich, and more, the tenth and final installment of the boundary-pushing literary journal Freeman's, which explores all the ways of coming to an end. Over the course of ten years, Freeman's has introduced the English-speaking world to countless writers of international import and acclaim, from Olga Tokarczuk to Valeria Luiselli, while also spotlighting brilliant writers working in English, from Tommy Orange to Tess Gunty. Now, in its last issue, this unique literary project ponders all the ways of reaching a fitting conclusion. For Sayaka Murata, keeping up with the comings and goings of fashion and its changing emotional landscapes can mean being left behind, and in her poem "Amenorrhea," Julia Alvarez experiences the end of the line as menopause takes hold. Yet sometimes an end is merely a beginning, as Barry Lopez meditates while walking through the snowy Oregonian landscapes. While Chinelo Okparanta's story "Fatu" confronts the end of a relationship under the specter of new life, other writers look towards aging as an opportunity for rebirth, such as Honorâee Fanonne Jeffers, who takes on the role of being her own elder, comforting herself in the ways that her grandmother used to. Finally, in his comic story "Everyone at Dinner Has a Max von Sydow Story," Dave Eggers suggests that sometimes stories don't have neat or clean endings--that sometimes the middle is enough. With new writing from Sandra Cisneros, Colum McCann, Omar El Akkad, and Mieko Kawakami, Freeman's: Conclusions is a testament to the startling power of literature to conclude in a state of beauty, fear, and promise"--

Book Synopsis

Featuring new work from Rebecca Makkai, Aleksandar Hemon, Rachel Khong, Louise Erdrich, and more, the tenth and final installment of the boundary-pushing literary journal Freeman's, which explores all the ways of coming to an end

Over the course of ten years, Freeman's has introduced the English-speaking world to countless writers of international import and acclaim, from Olga Tokarczuk to Valeria Luiselli, while also spotlighting brilliant writers working in English, from Tommy Orange to Tess Gunty. Now, in its last issue, this unique literary project ponders all the ways of reaching a fitting conclusion.

For Sayaka Murata, keeping up with the comings and goings of fashion and its changing emotional landscapes can mean being left behind, while in her poem "Amenorrhea," Julia Alvarez experiences the end of a line as menstruation ceases. Yet sometimes an end is merely a beginning, as Barry Lopez meditates while walking through the snowy Oregonian landscapes. While Chinelo Okparanta's story "Fatu" confronts the end of a relationship under the specter of new life, other writers look towards aging as an opportunity for rebirth, such as Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, who takes on the role of being her own elder, comforting herself in the ways that her grandmother used to. Finally, in his comic story "Everyone at Dinner Has a Max von Sydow Story," Dave Eggers suggests that sometimes stories don't have neat or clean endings--that sometimes the middle is enough.

With new writing from Sandra Cisneros, Colum McCann, Omar El Akkad, and Mieko Kawakami, Freeman's: Conclusions is a testament to the startling power of literature to conclude in a state of beauty, fear, and promise.

Review Quotes

Praise for Freeman's: Conclusions:

"The definitive issue of a venerated literary journal . . . The tenth and final issue is fittingly devoted to conclusions, and features writing from an all-star cast . . . Every piece in this collection stands on its own and is as expertly faceted as a gem. Filled with expertly crafted stories, essays, and poems, this volume is a triumph."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for Freeman's:

"There's an illustrious new literary journal in town . . . [with] fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by new voices and literary heavyweights . . . alike." --Vogue.com

"A terrific anthology . . . Sure to become a classic in years to come."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Ambitious."--O Magazine

"Freeman draws from a global cache of talent . . . An expansive reading experience."--Kirkus Reviews

"Looking at what John [Freeman] has put together in [his] first edition, I'm struck by how many names I don't know and how diverse and global it is. My only disappointment is that it's going to be twice a year--I think we need it four times a year."--James Wood, Radio Boston

"Illuminating . . . Perfect reading for our ever-accelerating times."--NPR's Book Concierge

"Freeman's is fresh, provocative, engrossing."--BBC.com

"A first-rate anthology of bold, searching and personal writing by emerging and established writers."--Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"From the abstract to the literal, there is no shortage of provocative, thoughtful pieces here."--Publishers Weekly

"Freeman's sets a new standard for literary journals . . . It's refreshing and full of nuanced stories that will linger with you long after you finish them."--Chicago Literati

"[An] infinitely relatable and beautifully crafted prose and poetry anthology . . . Freeman has assembled a thoughtful and profoundly accessible collection of work that connects our vulnerabilities, our expectations and our hopes."--Newcity Lit

"[A] thrillingly unique collection of voices."--Toronto Star

About the Author

JOHN FREEMAN was the editor of Granta until 2013. His books include Dictionary of the Undoing, How to Read a Novelist, Tales of Two Americas, and Tales of Two Planets. His poetry includes the collections Maps, The Park, and Wind, Trees. In 2021, he edited the anthologies There's a Revolution Outside, My Love with Tracy K. Smith, and The Penguin Book of the Modern American Short Story. An executive eAlta magazine. His work has appeared in the New Yorker and the Paris Review and has been translated into twenty-two languages.