"Read this. Right now." —Brandon Taylor"Molly Dektar can write like hell. [The Absolutes] is simply ravishing." **—**Melissa FebosFor fans of Emma Cline and Garth Greenwell, an arresting, seductive novel about one woman’s headlong dive into a reckless affair that leaves her teetering on the edge of sanity.“In truth, the idea of evil didn’t worry me at all. There were all these checks on...

**When a young woman leaves her family to join a secret off-the-grid community headed by an enigmatic leader, she discovers that belonging comes with a deadly cost, in this “stunning debut,” (The New Yorker) “perfect for fans of Philip Roth’s American Pastoral and the film Martha Marcy May Marlene” (Booklist, starred review).At nineteen, Berie encounters a seductive and mysterious man at a bus station near her home in North Caro...

""Read this. Right now."" —Brandon Taylor""Molly Dektar can write like hell. [The Absolutes] is simply ravishing."" **—**Melissa FebosFor fans of Emma Cline and Garth Greenwell, an arresting, seductive novel about one woman’s headlong dive into a reckless affair that leaves her teetering on the edge of sanity.“In truth, the idea of evil didn’t worry me at all. There were all these check...

The Spring 2026 Issue. Ploughshares is an award-winning journal of new writing. Since 1971, Ploughshares has discovered and cultivated the freshest voices in contemporary American literature, and now provides readers with thoughtful and entertaining literature in a variety of formats.The Spring 2026 issue, edited by Annie Finch, features poetry and prose by Traci Brimhall, Molly Dektar, Jane Hirshfield, Shane McCrae, Jessica Roede...