Lydia Davis's "Favorite Bodies" Published in The New Yorker

Lydia Davis's flash fiction "Favorite Bodies" appears in The New Yorker. Set during a volunteer repair event in a former firehouse, the story follows the narrator's interaction with her friend Susie, a leather repairer. The narrator persistently tries to tell Susie a story about a mortician but is asked to wait until Susie finishes her pizza. Susie repairs a chewed black shoe, deciding to cut away the damaged part and shape the flap diagonally, though the owner declines symmetry. The narrator observes other repairs: a woman adjusting a cello score for divisi, a knife sharpener, and various items like lamps and clothing. Eventually, the narrator tells the mortician story: a mortician preferred working on vegan bodies because they were in better condition, smelled better, and inspired her to become vegan. Susie reacts with disgust and reveals her horror of her own insides. The story concludes with the repair event winding down and the narrator reflecting on the exchange. The narrative explores themes of bodily aversion, learning from the dead, and the dynamics of storytelling.