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.

Paw in print

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The February 2026 cover of PAW, featuring a photo of Joseph Nye.
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February 2026

Lives Lived & Lost in 2025, Saying ’yes’ to more housing; AI startup stars