Still Pictures

More about the book

“Superb . . . [The] final, splendid, most personal work of [Janet Malcolm’s] long career.” —Charles Finch, The New York Times Book Review For decades, Janet Malcolm’s writings for The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books challenged conventional reporting and biography, revealing the artifice behind public and private identities. In this work, she introspectively examines her own life, showcasing her unparalleled skill as a writer. This narrative is not merely a recounting of experiences but an exploration of identity and family photographs, echoing the poignancy of Roland Barthes’s Camera Lucida. Malcolm transcends the superficial allure of self-recognition, crafting a memoir from memories that evoke deeper questions. It opens with the image of a young girl on a train, leaving Prague for New York in 1939. Through reflections on her early loves, evenings at the Metropolitan Opera House, and her curiosity about being a “bad girl,” she paints a composite portrait of a New York childhood intertwined with the pull of Europe and the complexities of fate and family. The narrative further explores her marriage to Gardner Botsford, her experiences at William Shawn’s New Yorker, and the libel trial that transformed her into a character in her own story. With her signature sharp wit and insightful commentary, this brief volume stands out as a unique memoir in contemporary literature.