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January 16, 2026

Isabella Cotier

	By Joumana Khatib

Dear readers,

For my fellow fans of weird literature, do I have a treat for you. This week A.O. Scott takes us through a charming but unquestionably odd love poem by William Blake called “The Clod & the Pebble.”

It’s a dialogue between a clump of dirt and a minuscule rock — “inanimate objects who happen to have strong and well-developed opinions on matters of human feeling,” as Scott writes. In just three brief stanzas, these specks explore tenderness and cruelty, all with a rhyme scheme.

If you’re so moved to memorize the poem, we’ve appended a game at the end of the piece to help you learn it by heart. Enjoy, and see you next time.

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THIS WEEK IN THE BOOK REVIEW

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Balint Zsako fiction This Blockbuster French Novel Asks: Can Art Compromise With Fascism? In the Goncourt winner “Watching Over Her,” Jean-Baptiste Andrea traces the personal and political entanglements of a sculptor whose swagger belies his physical stature. By Alex Preston

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