A Review of “Seven Short Stories” by Teju Cole
By Emmen Naqvi
For The New York Times

In Seven Stories About Drones, Teju Cole delivers something that quite brilliant but devastating: he takes the opening lines of famous novels and reworks them into miniature tragedies shaped by drone warfare. Each story, no more than a sentence or two, begins with a seemingly innocent, peaceful, or comforting note, such as Mrs. Dalloway saying she would buy flowers. This is then followed by a phrase that seems to pull the ground from beneath. The florist is struck. Ishmael dies at his wedding. Okonkwo is beheaded. In a way, Cole here forces readers to see how our stories and lives can be interrupted and silenced when violence becomes justified. It’s sharp and it’s unsettling. These stories serve as reminders that behind every person is a narrative that is eventually abruptly cut short.

A Review of “A Cautionary Tale”
By Emmen Naqvi
For the New York Times

This review starts off like a heartfelt love letter, then spirals into a cinematic-like fever dream of romance and violence. At first, it’s quite sweet: a husband, three sons, a green shirt with pretty wolves, and a thoughtful Valentine’s Day surprise meant to say something sentimental. But then–boom–the shirt is unleashed, and so is the wife. She, seemingly overtaken by the spirit of the wild, assaults him with some powerful energy. Her husband is blacked out on the bed; while reading this, you feel like laughing, but also have some concern. The ending feels like something between a horror movie and a Planet Earth special. This serves as a perfectly feral tribute to the mysterious powers of love, wolves, and maybe polyester.

A Review of “Reader Comments for the New York Times ‘Homestyle Spaghetti Carbonara’ Recipe
By Emmen Naqvi
For the New York Times

This comment section is less about pasta and more about unfiltered chaos–and it’s absolutely refreshing. What starts as a few normal cooking tips turns into a wild mess of garlic debates, personal confessions, and storytelling. One person follows the recipe exactly, another uses tripled cheese, and someone else wants to replace the pasta with fish. Barbara from Decatur can’t find any ingredients and just makes a grilled cheese, sparking an entire list of replies and support. Somehow, with the mentions of NFTs, magic tricks, and yoga, it all works. I found it to be quite heartwarming and more entertaining than the recipe itself.