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Normally I pass my morning commute absorbed in a book, headphones on, trying to create a cocoon in public. I miss a lot of what’s going on around me, but my reading hours are so limited and my “Books Read in 2025” list is so embarrassingly short that I give up presence to get a couple of chapters in. One day this week, however, I kept my book in my bag and made a game of looking at the people around me and imagining what their voices sound like.
The woman in the trench coat and boots has a sultry baritone; the child, a lisp. The tall guy in the plaid flannel shirt has a surprisingly high and squeaky voice — he used to be self-conscious about it but now it’s just him. What kind of accents does everyone have, who smiles when they talk, w…
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Normally I pass my morning commute absorbed in a book, headphones on, trying to create a cocoon in public. I miss a lot of what’s going on around me, but my reading hours are so limited and my “Books Read in 2025” list is so embarrassingly short that I give up presence to get a couple of chapters in. One day this week, however, I kept my book in my bag and made a game of looking at the people around me and imagining what their voices sound like.
The woman in the trench coat and boots has a sultry baritone; the child, a lisp. The tall guy in the plaid flannel shirt has a surprisingly high and squeaky voice — he used to be self-conscious about it but now it’s just him. What kind of accents does everyone have, who smiles when they talk, who has a cold coming on that you can hear in their throat?
This game is a variation on my usual one: “Where Is That Person Going?” It’s not really fun, as games go, but it keeps me occupied, noticing, engaged with the world rather than ignoring it. There are many variations on this activity: If I were friends with that person, what would our relationship be like? Or, what’s that person worried about? A good one for when you’re feeling sorry for yourself — everyone’s got their own private disquiet, you’re not alone.
In his poem “Everything Is Waiting for You,” David Whyte addresses the fundamental error of assuming separateness from everything and everyone else. “As if life / were a progressive and cunning crime / with no witness to the tiny hidden transgressions.” He advises the reader to become alert. “You must note / the way the soap dish enables you, or the window latch grants you freedom.” What a way of engaging with the mundane! The ordinary items around us are animate in his reading of the world. And not only that — they’re predisposed to look on us favorably, to enable us, free us.
My retreat into books while on the train is only partly about getting reading done. It’s also about shutting out distraction, on the premise that whatever is happening around me is intrusive, possibly unpleasant, at the very least extraneous to my central purpose, which is getting from A to B. Sitting and just being in space with strangers — whether on public transportation, or in a doctor’s waiting room, or in the audience before the movie starts — instead of retreating into a book or a phone sometimes requires reorientation. Who and what else is here? What if these noise-canceling headphones are keeping me from hearing the actually quite charming voices of the people beside me? If I want to feel more connected to other people, then what’s protective isn’t always productive.
Or, as Whyte instructs, “Put down the weight of your aloneness and ease into the / conversation.”
What are some things you’ve noticed when you’ve kept your phone or book in your bag in a public place? Share your thoughts in the comments.
THE LATEST NEWS
Politics
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President Trump in the Oval Office this week.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times
President Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate ties between Jeffrey Epstein and prominent Democrats, in apparent retaliation for the release of emails linking Trump and Epstein.
The Trump administration appears to be drawing closer to a conflict with Venezuela. America’s largest aircraft carrier is set to arrive in the Caribbean soon, and Trump recently reviewed military options, including the use of Special Operations forces.
The administration is planning a policy change that could make it harder for immigrants to get green cards if they’re from countries subject to his travel ban.
The Republican-led Indiana Senate will not meet next month to vote on a redrawn congressional map, likely leaving the state’s two Democratic-leaning districts in place for the midterms.
International
Russia pummeled Kyiv with drones and missiles, killing at least six people. Recent Russian attacks have targeted Ukraine’s power grid, in an effort to plunge the country into cold and darkness as winter looms.
Switzerland said it had reached a deal to lower its tariff rate with the U.S. to 15 percent, down from a punishing 39 percent.
World leaders are meeting this month at an international climate conference, called COP30. But the U.S. is not present. In the video below, Somini Sengupta, our international climate reporter, discusses what the absence means.
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Credit...The New York Times
Other Big Stories
A judge is set to approve a bankruptcy deal for Purdue Pharma, which made the painkiller OxyContin. Its owners, the Sackler family, will give up the company and pay as much as $7 billion in penalties.
Some parts of Southern California were under evacuation warnings yesterday as an unusually strong storm system hit the region. Forecasters expect heavier rain today.
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Film
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
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Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times
Marshmallow-Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
As you plan your Thanksgiving menu, this is a good weekend to audition any potential new dishes. Trying them out in advance gives you a sense of how they’ll mesh with your family favorites and sets the stage for the holiday to come. Eric Kim has a new sweet potato casserole that might be just the thing to sit next to — or replace — the usual offering. If you tend to find the dish a bit rich, Eric also makes the case for a not-too-sweet version.
REAL ESTATE
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Emily Weiss and Mitchell Rechter.Credit...Scott McIntyre for The New York Times
**The Hunt: **A couple set out to find a home in Boca Raton, Fla., that had enough space for their blended family. Which did they choose? Play our game.
**What you get for … **$1.3 million in Spain’s Basque Country: a three-bedroom apartment in a resort city; a five-bedroom apartment in the capital; or a contemporary house in the outskirts.
T MAGAZINE
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Thailand’s Koh Lan island.Credit...Lauren DeCicca for The New York Times
**Island escape: **While crowds flock to the Thai island where “The White Lotus” was recently set, nearby Koh Lan offers a more simple and authentic experience.
**Stranded: **Sonder, a boutique hotel company, abruptly went out of business this week, forcing some guests to scramble for new accommodations in the middle of their trips.
**Unblemished: **A new skin care clinic aims to make medical acne treatments as simple as getting a blowout at the salon.
ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER
Upgrades for a drama-free Thanksgiving
In my experience, the perfect flaky pie crust takes patience, precision, a reliable kitchen scale and at least 30 minutes in the fridge. So it’s no surprise that on especially busy occasions — say, Thanksgiving — I often find myself wondering how much time I could have saved (or football I could’ve watched) if I’d just bought a premade crust instead. This year I am going to give that a try — armed with the recommendations of my colleagues, who spent many hours in our test kitchen tasting store-bought pie crusts. And if you simply can’t concede to store-bought, here are a few other tricks Wirecutter’s experts swear by for easing the inevitable Thanksgiving Day stress. —* Isoke Samuel*
GAME OF THE WEEK
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Credit...Sean Rayford/Getty Images, Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
No. 2 South Carolina vs. No. 8 U.S.C., women’s college basketball: South Carolina is on a dynastic run. As The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant recently noted, the Gamecocks have won the Southeastern Conference four years in a row, losing just two conference games in that time. Their odds at a fifth took a hit when they lost two key players to injuries before this season even began. But the team also added Ta’Niya Latson, a transfer from Florida State who led the country in scoring last year.
U.S.C. finds itself in a similar situation. JuJu Watkins, the biggest star in the sport, will miss the season because of a torn A.C.L. Into her place has stepped Jazzy Davidson, who was among the country’s top high school recruits. So far, so good: This week, in just the second game of her career, Davidson hit a game-winning shot to knock off No. 9-ranked North Carolina State.
Tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fox
NOW TIME TO PLAY
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Melissa Kirsch covers wellness and lifestyle and writes The Morning newsletter on Saturdays.
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