September 19, 2022 Issue

Delightful “Talk” story in this week’s issue – Adam Iscoe’s "Loyalists." It’s a series of moments in the day of a British specialty store, Myers of Keswick, in the West Village. But it’s not just any day; it’s September 8, the day Queen Elizabeth II died. In the course of making their purchases, customers comment on the Queen’s passing. Example:

2:12 p.m. One exchange: Elena Saldana, an apron-clad woman behind the shop’s counter who has worked at the shop for twenty-five years, said, “What can I get you?” A bespectacled Brit named Harry King, who has been a hairdresser for celebrities and common people in London and New York, replied, “A tissue.” Two almost-laughs. One Scotch egg bought by King. “I haven’t had one in years,” he said. “I’ll sit and have a little cry eating it watching the telly before I go to the gym.”

I like the way Iscoe structures this piece. Each paragraph is like a logbook entry. My favourite passage catalogues the contents of the store’s window display:

2:15 p.m. More than two dozen white roses, hydrangeas, sweet peas, and orchids; lots of Union Jack bunting; a few commemorative plates; and one framed photograph of Queen Elizabeth II, all placed in the store window—pushing aside a few dozen jars of Haywards Traditional Onions (flavor: Medium & Tangy), Heinz Sandwich Spread (original), Baxters Sliced Beetroot (“suitable for vegans”), Batchelors Bigga Marrowfat peas (“No. 1 in UK”), and Marmite. Not pushed aside: one urn holding Archie’s ashes.

Iscoe is a superb “Talk” writer. “Loyalists” is one of his best.