The Great Read: Aging in a Brightly Lit, Big City
In 1984, Jay McInerney was a famous, young, hedonistic novelist. Now 71, he is wistful as he wraps up his tetralogy about a couple whose city, and marriage, are tested by the pandemic.
The New York Times
The Great Read

April 17, 2026, 2:01 p.m. Eastern time

On weekdays and Sundays, we recommend one piece of exceptional writing from The Times — a narrative or essay that takes you someplace you might not expect to go.

Jay McInerney, wearing a tan trench coat with a black shirt underneath, places his hand on a booth inside a restaurant.

Gus Powell for The New York Times

Aging in a Brightly Lit, Big City

In 1984, Jay McInerney was a famous, young, hedonistic novelist. Now 71, he is wistful as he wraps up his tetralogy about a couple whose city, and marriage, are tested by the pandemic.

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