The PEN American Center features The Common‘s interview with Shawn Vestal, author of Godforsaken Idaho, on their Recommended Reading List. Vestal has won the 2014 Shortlist PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize.
Browse a list of the ten most-read new pieces of 2025 to get a taste of what left an impact on readers. 2025 was a momentous year for The Common: our fifteenth anniversary, our 30th issue, even a major motion picture based on a story in the magazine.
This holiday season, you could hear from one of your favorite authors—writers like Ann Patchett, George Saunders, and Stephen Graham Jones—or have them write a missive to the book nerd on your gift list.
Join us for a panel discussion and book signing at the Brooklyn Book Festival this September.
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