The Long Afterlife of a Terrible Crime

Plus: in praise of slow productivity; the other great series of novels about a middle-aged Norwegian; and the primal power of the flute. View in browser | Update your preferences Monday, January 3, 2022 In today’s newsletter: • The benefits of slow productivity • The other great series of novels about a middle-aged Norwegian • The primal power of the flute The Long Afterlife of a Terrible Crime Decades after her mother was killed, Regina Alexander reached out to the son of the people who did it. Photographs by Dan Winters for The New Yorker; Source photographs courtesy Regina Alexander Our fascination with true-crime stories often centers on the desire to see a mystery solved or a twisty narrative deftly concluded—for the reader, viewer, or listener, a sense of resolution is connected to our experience of a transporting tale well told. But, for the people who are closely connected to real crimes, finding resolution is a matter of much higher stakes, and is far more fleeting. Ryan Katz explores this quest to find some sense in a senseless act with his story about the murder of Elizabeth Perryman, in 1971, one in a spate of killings in Texas and the West by a roving family. He speaks extensively with Perryman’s daughter Regina, whose search for information about her mother’s death connects her to people, across several decades, whose lives have been upended by harrowing events from the past. As Katz writes, “Regina didn’t want her mother’s life to be defined by her death, but she couldn’t help fixating on Elizabeth’s last moments. It was as though each detail were a cell in her mother’s body; assembling them all together might make her reappear.” —Ian Crouch, newsletter editor Read “The Long Afterlife of a Terrible Crime.” Editor’s Pick Office Space It’s Time to Embrace Slow Productivity We need fewer things to work on. Starting now. By Cal Newport Culture Dept. Under Review The Other Great Series of Novels About a Middle-Aged Norwegian Carl Frode Tiller’s “Encircling” trilogy offers a striking counterpoint to “My Struggle,” examining an individual entirely through the eyes of others. By Alejandro Chacoff Musical Events Claire Chase Taps the Primal Power of the Flute A monumental project to expand the flute repertory will continue until 2036. By Alex Ross The Boards Losing It All, on Broadway The cast of “Skeleton Crew,” Dominique Morisseau’s play about Black auto-plant workers facing rumors of a shutdown, takes a field trip to check out the set. By Sheelah Kolhatkar From the Archive A Critic at Large The Hobbit Habit “The Lord of the Rings” was, and remains, not a book that you happen to read, like any other, but a book that happens to you: a chunk bitten out of your life. Its author, J. R. R. Tolkien, was born a hundred and thirty years ago today. By Anthony Lane Fun & Games Dept. Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Matt Jackson Daily Cartoon Monday, January 3rd By Bob Eckstein Crossword A Challenging Puzzle Item visible in Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks”: five letters. By Patrick Berry Shouts & Murmurs Constitutional Crisis No. 1 A twelvemonth after the Capitol riot, a look back at Dr. Franklin’s views on preserving the Republick. By Teddy Wayne P.S. Twitter announced, on Sunday, that it had permanently suspended the personal account of Marjorie Taylor Greene, the conspiracist Republican representative from Georgia. In 2020, the staff writer Charles Bethea wrote about Greene as she was emerging on the national scene, identifying the way her outrageous brand of politics had been embraced by the establishment. “She’s bat-shit crazy,” the conservative commentator Erick Erickson said at the time. “But she’s going to Congress.” Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.