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Daisy Johnson

Daisy Johnson’s debut short story collection, Fen (Graywolf, 2017), was the winner of the Edge Hill Prize. Her debut novel, Everything Under (Graywolf, 2019), has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. She was the winner of the AM Heath Prize and the Harper’s Bazaar short story prize. She has been longlisted for the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize and the New Angle Prize. Daisy currently lives in Oxford, UK. 

Author

Illustration by Nicole Rifkin

The Ash Swimming Pool

Fall 2018 | Fiction

It had been nearly fifteen years, and no one Ali knew looked much like the way they had when they were younger. She wrote Grace’s name on a piece of paper in red felt tip and held it at arm’s length in front of her. In the rush of bodies, the automatic doors that led to the baggage carousel barely had time to close before opening again. There had been some kind of strife—though not a bomb—and there were police, a couple of soldiers moving with intent back and forth through the building. The glass walls were stained with cigarette smoke. In the food shops there were near fights at the discount sections: half-price carrot sticks with hummus, blood-colored smoothies, pita bread. She was so afraid of planes that sometimes, at night, she thought she could hear their seizing rattle, the doomed click of an engine shutting off 36,000 feet above her house. In the e-mail, Grace wrote: I’ve got nothing but air miles, I’d love to come and stay for a bit.