Look a little
closer.
Folio publishes essays about objects, rooms and habits. We take time with small subjects and the people who give them meaning.
The ordinary
has a great deal in it.
A chair is an object, but it is also an invitation to sit. A notebook is a place to write, but it can become a record of attention. A meal ends while the conversation continues. We are interested in these overlaps between things and the lives around them.
Our essays begin with observation and stay close to a particular subject. They leave room for disagreement, recognition and the thought a reader brings to the page.
Reading without a hurry.
The site is arranged around three subjects: Objects, Rooms and Habits. An issue draws pieces together, while the reading index lets you find your own route. Essays are presented in full, with related reading at the end.
Read one piece, follow a connection or return to the contents. Take your time; the essays can be read in any order.
A conversation with readers.
A good response may notice something an essay missed. Letters can offer another experience, challenge an interpretation or point towards a subject that deserves attention. A disagreement expressed precisely is welcome.
Write to the editors
Begin with an essay.
All stories
Room for a chair
A chair changes a room twice: once when we place it, and again when someone sits down.
Read the essay
The bowl we reach for
On the quiet preference that turns one ordinary object into the one we use every day.
Read the essay
Between tasks
The unclaimed minute after one thing ends and before the next thing begins.
Read the essay