The Great Read: Hungry for Affirmation, Vulnerable to Scams: As a Writer, I Know the Feeling
From George Saunders to the National Book Foundation, the literary world has been besieged by fake requests. Just like me.
The New York Times
The Great Read

February 25, 2026, 2:00 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.

An illustration shows an oversized fish hook at the end of a line, reeling in a hardback book, set against an orange background.

Ricardo Tomás

Hungry for Affirmation, Vulnerable to Scams: As a Writer, I Know the Feeling

From George Saunders to the National Book Foundation, the literary world has been besieged by fake requests. Just like me.

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