Consulate Procedures and Emotional Distance

Catherine Lacey reads her story “Coconut Flan” from the October 13, 2025, issue of the magazine. Lacey is the author of five books of fiction, including the novels “Pew,” and “Biography of X,” both of which were short-listed for the Dylan Thomas Prize in 2021 and 2024, respectively. Her memoir and novella, “The Möbius Book,” was published earlier this year.