Thank you! My publisher tried to pull the print version of HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT from circulation after Trump got SCOTUS immunity and the book was selling very well. It scared me. So I’m always glad when people have the print version, because I never know what they’ll do to me next, and there’s a lot of important information in that book.
I bought physical copies of your books so that they don't disappear, and so I can (easily) write comments and references in the margins..., and (easily) find them again. BTW, Annie Jacobsen is going to be discussing her new book, Biological War, released yesterday, at the StL County Library Clark Branch on Monday evening.
I’m buying your books asap. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around what I just read and I was a former English teacher now 66 years an old. You are incredibly brave and becoming for me one of the national treasures I read.
Me, too! First I tried to read them through Libby, with library cards from 3 different library systems, and the only thing available anywhere were the audiobooks of Hiding in Plain Sight and The View from Flyover Country, and the ebook of The Last American Roadtrip. I listened to both audiobooks, and bought physical copies of Hiding in Plain Sight and They Knew. I actually really loved listening to Sarah read her own books — hearing her tone of voice, and often the anguish in it, made them genuinely poignant.
My two teenage boys have their feet firmly planted in the digital universe. I try and impart on them the importance of physical media and my wife and I have our little familial repository of books, art prints, records, cds, and some cassettes (gasp!). I’ve even got an old Edison record ca 1920 I found in my wife’s grandmother’s house on display that I’ve used as an example of a “file_not_found_error”-proof time capsule. I hope they understand how much harder it will be in the future to remember the present 🫥
I'm a long-time Bowie fan. I'll never forget how I found out about David Bowie. I was at a flea market when I was in sixth grade. An old man selling used cassettes asked me what kind of music I liked and at that time I was really into Lou Reed. He sold me "Diamond Dogs" for a dollar and gave me this lecture on how great David Bowie was and that I should not be deceived by his "Dancing in the Street" Mick Jagger duet video (which was among the little I knew then.) I still have that "Diamond Dogs" cassette and I wonder who that old man was. He made such a difference in my life and he has no idea.
If you ever get a chance to see Mike Garson ("Bowie's piano man") it's always worth it. Such a talent for rock as well as jazz, and a very nice gentleman too.
If I was hoping you were going to cheer me up, did I get a wake up call. And unfortunately as on schedule you got it right. I can say I don’t think I use AI but has AI replaced all search engines? Am I that far behind? I need a walk in the woods. Thanks.
You can try to use the search engines without AI on; that's what I do (type in -AI). But a lot of time I just read people I know are good or I try to search social media (although those search engines are collapsing too)
I've had such a terrible time over the last twelve months with all the deaths in my family, especially my father's. It blocked whatever makes my mind flow freely. It's a good sign that I could write like this again. I hope it lasts.
"Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Iceberg Lettuce in 9 States"
For Everyone
July 24, 2026
Español
Food safety alert
Investigation status: Open
Recall issued: Yes
"CDC, FDA, and public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to iceberg lettuce in 9 states.
"On July 17, 2026, Taylor Farms initiated a recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico."
"Do not eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. If you purchased recalled lettuce, throw it out or return it."
"CDC is also investigating other outbreaks and illnesses of cyclosporiasis nationally that are unrelated to this outbreak."
Phewww!
Got to lean over the bowl for about an hour of digestive upheaval meself....
I have been wondering lately if people are keeping hand written journals of what life is like every day. I hope so. I have journals and diaries from the 1970s that contain nothing like what we are now living through. I am having restless sleep where I see bits and pieces of my life in dreams that are not bringing any joy. A book I am reading is contributing to my unease. I should finish in a few days and then will share if I think it is something that needs to be read. I sat with my 3 year old neighbor for 4 hours today. I fear for her future. Today is my Mom's death day from Covid and our idiots in charge are harrassing a person who they want to be swallowed in their quicksand of lies. 😭
I, too, have kept a daily diary since I got married in 1982. I have them all in bins in our shed. I use them to remind myself of where I’ve been (geographically and emotionally). Can’t say they’d be of any use to humans who hopefully (?) survive this ai future. But they’re out there to remind me when needed.
Indeed, our writing over the years shows an odd progression into this near dystopian world. In 1964 when I was 8 I moved from Toledo Ohio to Miami. I wrote to my friend Deb. She kept ALL our letters from print, to script, to typewritten, to word processor, to dot matrix printer, to I dunno, whatever printer came after that. And then? And then, in one of the last letters I said, this email thing is really something. Then we emailed. Then we were just down to Christmas cards. Now? Texts and FaceTime. I often think that the younger generation will have nothing to hold onto. No old letters. No old cards. No old photos if you didn’t back them up and you had a computer crash or your phone ended up in the toilet because you forgot it was in your back pocket and you never backed it up.
I am grateful everyday to be 70. I feel for the younger generation, the Gen Xers (if I had kids, well I sorta do, you can read that on my page if you like), what my kids ages would be if I had them (not making sense), and their kids! WTF will their lives be??? I am in a doomsday spiral lately. My old self says (to myself) about fancy vacations the ‘kids’ take, ‘save your money!’. But now I think, ‘go for it!!’. You may not have this in the futures. Live it up!
I’d be very interested to learn the title of the book you’re reading. Couldn’t make me feel much worse about it all.
It is time to acknowledge what has become tragically obvious: the Trump admin is essentially acting as a massive criminal enterprise. It lies, steals, extorts & murders—all while cloaked in the awesome authority of the state”
I was actually listening to Hunky Dory this morning, so I guess I already had Quicksand and Bowie on my mind. Born in '65, grew up in the exact world you describe in the essay. We can still call them "essays," right? I was taught that essay meant an attempt at something. A try. Keep trying. Please.
Indeed, Aleece, the millennial turnover was the profound divide between the analog and digital worlds. Our senses remain analog, that at one time perceived with credibility. Each of us here will read your "great times" differently except that they refer back to a lost world. There are echoes throughout, Mary below refers to "nothing like what we are now living". In her dreams she seems to conjure a present between her past and what's in store for her 3 year old neighbor. Our plight, it seems, is a bewildering interregnum before whatever future manifests itself. Has ever before everything been in crisis. We're past the point where an uprising of "We the people" can occur. We're left with a few who, like Chaucer and Dante, are creating a new language for expressing our novel experience. Meanwhile the media through which we assume to know the world has become a self serving, banal industry feeding on events.
Oh man, this article is surreal in a deja vu kinda way. An elder Gen Xer am I.
Recently, when I was out walking, I wondered what ever happened to quicksand? A memory from a Gilligan’s Island episode involving quicksand had popped into my 1970’s pop-cultured brain. Quicksand was everywhere then and nowhere, in reality. Another brilliantly crafted essay showing how easily one can be distracted from what truly ought to matter. Thank you, Sarah.
I think everyone hates a lot of the same things (corruption, AI, child rape espionage syndicates) and misses hanging out with humans who aren't trying to scam people and that this desire is so strong we might piece our world back together again
Also, a random aside: I read your incredible post, astonished that the missing kids/milk carton thing was appearing for me twice in one week. Just two days ago we listened to Gary Gulman (the whole amazing album, relevant snippet found here: https://www.tiktok.com/@garygulman/video/7249366893679807790) on our way back from a cross-country road trip (I know you'd approve; also, there were lots of bugs on our windshield, which sadly made me happy, because that means there were lots of bugs). Just after I read your piece and as I waited for something to load, I read a poem from my paperback Andrea Gibson's "You Better Be Lightning" - I'm on "Time Piece." Just read the line "To make up for lost time, / you do not need to know why / time went missing / or what kidnapped it,/ or if its face / was on the back of a milk carton / every day for fifteen years."
Third time in three days. I just had to share that because synchronicities are joyful.
Thank you Sarah. I’m 70 and familiar with quicksand as well. We learned that we must be as still as possible so we wouldn’t sink. This nation is sinking. At this time we cannot remain still; at minimum, we must vote for every democrat at every level if we want to prevent us from falling further into the abyss. It pains me to say this; however, we are at a precipice. So many people are suffering in this country for so many reasons. If we don’t move now there will be more loss of rights that sadly we’ve taken for granted. Peace
John Fetterman is my senator, so point taken. Thankfully, Maine dodged a bullet; there were early warning signs that people totally ignored. (Not looking for perfection, but moral qualities matter.) We must do as much research as possible, with trusted sources, and vote.
I bought physical copies of your books so I can know they will continue to exist in their original form. Thank you.
Thank you! My publisher tried to pull the print version of HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT from circulation after Trump got SCOTUS immunity and the book was selling very well. It scared me. So I’m always glad when people have the print version, because I never know what they’ll do to me next, and there’s a lot of important information in that book.
I bought physical copies of your books so that they don't disappear, and so I can (easily) write comments and references in the margins..., and (easily) find them again. BTW, Annie Jacobsen is going to be discussing her new book, Biological War, released yesterday, at the StL County Library Clark Branch on Monday evening.
I have Hiding in Plain Sight.
My hope is that everyone learns all of this, so that disappearing you would only galvanize us.
I’m buying your books asap. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around what I just read and I was a former English teacher now 66 years an old. You are incredibly brave and becoming for me one of the national treasures I read.
Thank you, I really appreciate that!
I have multiple copies of all your books. ❤️
Thanks!
Me, too! First I tried to read them through Libby, with library cards from 3 different library systems, and the only thing available anywhere were the audiobooks of Hiding in Plain Sight and The View from Flyover Country, and the ebook of The Last American Roadtrip. I listened to both audiobooks, and bought physical copies of Hiding in Plain Sight and They Knew. I actually really loved listening to Sarah read her own books — hearing her tone of voice, and often the anguish in it, made them genuinely poignant.
My two teenage boys have their feet firmly planted in the digital universe. I try and impart on them the importance of physical media and my wife and I have our little familial repository of books, art prints, records, cds, and some cassettes (gasp!). I’ve even got an old Edison record ca 1920 I found in my wife’s grandmother’s house on display that I’ve used as an example of a “file_not_found_error”-proof time capsule. I hope they understand how much harder it will be in the future to remember the present 🫥
same here
me too!
Definitely.
same same
and this essay is brilliant
keep telling it like it is
thank you
I did the same. Hardcover and paperback.
I did the same thing. Plus gave Sarah’s books to others for the record.
As always brilliant- writing that will last.
Thank you! That's what I'm trying to do.
Even peppered in some Bowie! Brilliant!
Second Bowie reference in this newsletter: https://sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/laura-palmers-house
I'm a long-time Bowie fan. I'll never forget how I found out about David Bowie. I was at a flea market when I was in sixth grade. An old man selling used cassettes asked me what kind of music I liked and at that time I was really into Lou Reed. He sold me "Diamond Dogs" for a dollar and gave me this lecture on how great David Bowie was and that I should not be deceived by his "Dancing in the Street" Mick Jagger duet video (which was among the little I knew then.) I still have that "Diamond Dogs" cassette and I wonder who that old man was. He made such a difference in my life and he has no idea.
You know well, Sarah, that when we start referencing those to whom we owe our best human debts, we avoid the quicksand.
That is a fantastic story! God bless Bowie.
Love that. I jammed to diamond dogs LP, just mesmerized by the music, lyrics, and artwork, while my older sisters were working to pay for said album😂
If you ever get a chance to see Mike Garson ("Bowie's piano man") it's always worth it. Such a talent for rock as well as jazz, and a very nice gentleman too.
That reminds me of the Love track 'Old Man' on the album 'Forever Changes'. Perhaps it was him!
If I was hoping you were going to cheer me up, did I get a wake up call. And unfortunately as on schedule you got it right. I can say I don’t think I use AI but has AI replaced all search engines? Am I that far behind? I need a walk in the woods. Thanks.
You can try to use the search engines without AI on; that's what I do (type in -AI). But a lot of time I just read people I know are good or I try to search social media (although those search engines are collapsing too)
Use Qwant or Startpage, instead of google.
🤔
This baby boomer didn’t know how to turn AI off!! Thank you! It works!!!
I’ll try those suggestions. Thanks.
Sarah, this is a tour de force. Sharing far and wide.
Thank you! After days of writers block, this came pouring out!
I sensed that, felt like a dam burst with gold nuggets of written goodness.
I've had such a terrible time over the last twelve months with all the deaths in my family, especially my father's. It blocked whatever makes my mind flow freely. It's a good sign that I could write like this again. I hope it lasts.
Getting very old and diagnosed with my second cancer—this one incurable—unblocked my mind. About time.
Hopefully not on same day the rest of US were eating tainted lettuce greens and creating the in-continental runs!
https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/index.html
"Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Iceberg Lettuce in 9 States"
For Everyone
July 24, 2026
Español
Food safety alert
Investigation status: Open
Recall issued: Yes
"CDC, FDA, and public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to iceberg lettuce in 9 states.
"On July 17, 2026, Taylor Farms initiated a recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico."
"Do not eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. If you purchased recalled lettuce, throw it out or return it."
"CDC is also investigating other outbreaks and illnesses of cyclosporiasis nationally that are unrelated to this outbreak."
Phewww!
Got to lean over the bowl for about an hour of digestive upheaval meself....
Tio Mitchito
TM
I have been wondering lately if people are keeping hand written journals of what life is like every day. I hope so. I have journals and diaries from the 1970s that contain nothing like what we are now living through. I am having restless sleep where I see bits and pieces of my life in dreams that are not bringing any joy. A book I am reading is contributing to my unease. I should finish in a few days and then will share if I think it is something that needs to be read. I sat with my 3 year old neighbor for 4 hours today. I fear for her future. Today is my Mom's death day from Covid and our idiots in charge are harrassing a person who they want to be swallowed in their quicksand of lies. 😭
I am very sorry about your mom. I know what you mean about the restless, surreal dreams.
I, too, have kept a daily diary since I got married in 1982. I have them all in bins in our shed. I use them to remind myself of where I’ve been (geographically and emotionally). Can’t say they’d be of any use to humans who hopefully (?) survive this ai future. But they’re out there to remind me when needed.
Indeed, our writing over the years shows an odd progression into this near dystopian world. In 1964 when I was 8 I moved from Toledo Ohio to Miami. I wrote to my friend Deb. She kept ALL our letters from print, to script, to typewritten, to word processor, to dot matrix printer, to I dunno, whatever printer came after that. And then? And then, in one of the last letters I said, this email thing is really something. Then we emailed. Then we were just down to Christmas cards. Now? Texts and FaceTime. I often think that the younger generation will have nothing to hold onto. No old letters. No old cards. No old photos if you didn’t back them up and you had a computer crash or your phone ended up in the toilet because you forgot it was in your back pocket and you never backed it up.
I am grateful everyday to be 70. I feel for the younger generation, the Gen Xers (if I had kids, well I sorta do, you can read that on my page if you like), what my kids ages would be if I had them (not making sense), and their kids! WTF will their lives be??? I am in a doomsday spiral lately. My old self says (to myself) about fancy vacations the ‘kids’ take, ‘save your money!’. But now I think, ‘go for it!!’. You may not have this in the futures. Live it up!
I’d be very interested to learn the title of the book you’re reading. Couldn’t make me feel much worse about it all.
And on the cheery note! I’ll stop.
I finished the book yesterday. What We Can Know by Ian McEwan. It takes place over a hundred years in the future.
DAILY NEWS
“The most powerful crime syndicate in history:
It is time to acknowledge what has become tragically obvious: the Trump admin is essentially acting as a massive criminal enterprise. It lies, steals, extorts & murders—all while cloaked in the awesome authority of the state”
THE LAST WORD
I was actually listening to Hunky Dory this morning, so I guess I already had Quicksand and Bowie on my mind. Born in '65, grew up in the exact world you describe in the essay. We can still call them "essays," right? I was taught that essay meant an attempt at something. A try. Keep trying. Please.
Thanks! And yes I’m sticking with essays
We never could have dreamed when we were kids that the world would look this different. We had some great times before the digital world took over.
Indeed, Aleece, the millennial turnover was the profound divide between the analog and digital worlds. Our senses remain analog, that at one time perceived with credibility. Each of us here will read your "great times" differently except that they refer back to a lost world. There are echoes throughout, Mary below refers to "nothing like what we are now living". In her dreams she seems to conjure a present between her past and what's in store for her 3 year old neighbor. Our plight, it seems, is a bewildering interregnum before whatever future manifests itself. Has ever before everything been in crisis. We're past the point where an uprising of "We the people" can occur. We're left with a few who, like Chaucer and Dante, are creating a new language for expressing our novel experience. Meanwhile the media through which we assume to know the world has become a self serving, banal industry feeding on events.
Oh man, this article is surreal in a deja vu kinda way. An elder Gen Xer am I.
Recently, when I was out walking, I wondered what ever happened to quicksand? A memory from a Gilligan’s Island episode involving quicksand had popped into my 1970’s pop-cultured brain. Quicksand was everywhere then and nowhere, in reality. Another brilliantly crafted essay showing how easily one can be distracted from what truly ought to matter. Thank you, Sarah.
Thanks!
It is funny how we were all so afraid of quicksand.
It still exists! See "This American Life", episode 821 "Embrace the Suck", January 19, 2024. Love me some NPR!
This was exquisite. I also still stubbornly refuse to believe that we can't somehow hoist ourselves out of it, together.
I think everyone hates a lot of the same things (corruption, AI, child rape espionage syndicates) and misses hanging out with humans who aren't trying to scam people and that this desire is so strong we might piece our world back together again
I REALLY THINK SO TOO. I think so wholeheartedly.
Also, a random aside: I read your incredible post, astonished that the missing kids/milk carton thing was appearing for me twice in one week. Just two days ago we listened to Gary Gulman (the whole amazing album, relevant snippet found here: https://www.tiktok.com/@garygulman/video/7249366893679807790) on our way back from a cross-country road trip (I know you'd approve; also, there were lots of bugs on our windshield, which sadly made me happy, because that means there were lots of bugs). Just after I read your piece and as I waited for something to load, I read a poem from my paperback Andrea Gibson's "You Better Be Lightning" - I'm on "Time Piece." Just read the line "To make up for lost time, / you do not need to know why / time went missing / or what kidnapped it,/ or if its face / was on the back of a milk carton / every day for fifteen years."
Third time in three days. I just had to share that because synchronicities are joyful.
Andrea Gibson-- awesome. And lost too soon.
Gary Gulman is gold
💯💯💯
😺😮
A strong desire and hope to hold on to. I’m going to call it Sarah’s Rope.
Love it! Sarah's Rope. Perfect.
💙🖖🏼
Yep! 🫶 💯
If we have time, as a species. It's not easy to have that hope.
So appreciate your writing and the photographs. Thank you.
Thank you!
It is sad indeed when the most optimism I can find is in the intellect of skilled communicators. Please accept as back-handed gratitude and respect.
My God, Sarah. The power of your prose is unmatched.
Thanks Jeff! I appreciate that, especially coming from you
Yes!
Thank you Sarah. I’m 70 and familiar with quicksand as well. We learned that we must be as still as possible so we wouldn’t sink. This nation is sinking. At this time we cannot remain still; at minimum, we must vote for every democrat at every level if we want to prevent us from falling further into the abyss. It pains me to say this; however, we are at a precipice. So many people are suffering in this country for so many reasons. If we don’t move now there will be more loss of rights that sadly we’ve taken for granted. Peace
I worry about the fake D's and then we accidentally vote them in and no change occurs.
John Fetterman is my senator, so point taken. Thankfully, Maine dodged a bullet; there were early warning signs that people totally ignored. (Not looking for perfection, but moral qualities matter.) We must do as much research as possible, with trusted sources, and vote.
I echo everyone else's sentiments in here.
However... when *I* think of quicksand, my mind immediately goes to my favorite villain non-villain....
The ever distinguished Wile E. Coyote
But, your point was properly made regardless. :)
Charlie Daniels knew quicksand. From The Legend of Woolley Swamp
The Cable boys was white trash, they lived over on Carver's Creek
They were mean as a snake and sneaky as a cat and belligerent when they'd speak
One night the oldest brother said, "Y'all me meet in the Wooley Swamp later
And we'll take old Lucius' money and we'll feed him to the alligators"
They found the old man out in the back with a shovel in his hand
And thirteen rusty Mason jars he just dug up out of the sand
And they all went crazy and they beat the old man, then they picked him up off the ground
Then threw him in the swamp and they stood there and laughed as the black water sucked him down
Then they turned around and went back to the shack, picked up the money and ran
They hadn't gone nowhere when they realized they were running in quicksand
And they struggled and they screamed, but they couldn't get away and just before they went under
They could hear that old man laughing in a voice as loud as thunder
That's been fifty years ago and you can go by there yet
There's a spot in the yard in back of that shack where the ground is always wet
And on certain nights if the moon is right down by that dark footpath
You can hear three young men screaming and you can hear one old man laugh
Dear Sarah, You've sure got The Big Picture framed within that shore's relatively few if metaphorically vast coastal grains of sand....
Tio Mitchito
TM
Thanks!