by Sigrid Nunez
First published 2013
In 1976, aspiring writer Sigrid Núñez steps through the door of 340 Riverside Drive into Susan Sontag's apartment. The legendary intellectual lives, writes, loves, and thinks in this space that will soon reshape Núñez's entire existence. When Núñez becomes romantically involved with Sontag's only son, she moves into the apartment and the three form an unconventional family. Sontag becomes what Núñez calls a natural mentor, guiding her through the complexities of literary life. Núñez observes Sontag's daily routines and academic circles, witnessing how this extraordinary woman affects everyone around her. She watches Sontag publish new books, deliver lectures, and simply enter rooms, noting the reactions she provokes. The memoir captures Sontag's emotional and intellectual life with remarkable precision. Núñez writes with subtlety and gratitude about these formative years, exploring both the ordinary moments and the singular nature of living alongside one of America's most controversial cultural figures.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, biography-memoir, 21st-century, academia
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, mentor-mentee
Setting: 340 Riverside Drive
Period: 1976
152 pages · Hardcover · ERRATA NATURAE