Swimming in a Sea of Death: A Son’s Memoir
(Simon & Schuster) The author tells the story of his mother, Susan Sontag’s battle with cancer and her fear of death. As her only child, Rieff relates the relationship between mother and son as he journeyed with Sontag from her initial diagnosis to her death in 2004. Rieff is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine and is the author of seven previous books.

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The Latest Issue
February 2026
Lives Lived & Lost in 2025, Saying ’yes’ to more housing; AI startup stars
