06/16/2026
June Staff Pick:ย The Anthropologistsย by Ayลegรผl Savaล
โI often find Iโm drawn to quiet books that explore our day to day and give focus to the familiar. Withย The Anthropologists, Turkish writer Ayลegรผl Savaล delivers meditative prose on the line between life and art in short cinematic scenes reminiscent of New Wave films. Itโs a slim novel, but thereโs something cozy about the days filled with cafes, apartment hunting, conversations and dinner parties that allows you to slow down and revel in the beauty of the language. Savaล is clear and minimalist in her word choice, though no nuance is lost or awe diminished.ย Through Facetimes with ailing grandparents and hosting family for weekend visits in the city, she explores the tension between where you came from and who you are becoming. Who are you when you build your life away from family? Which rituals stay, which customs remain? Which rules, which traditions make a life? โWith enough focus, I could probably predict our lives as well, the types of people we would resemble. There was something inevitable in choosing, in looking ahead: there were only so many options.โ
โ Rachael | Administration