• by Joe Mandese , July 8, 2020

For the first time ever, The New York Times Magazine is turning its entire issue over to fiction in order to make sense of reality.

"When reality is surreal, only fiction can make sense of it," explains the cover line of the magazine's July 12 edition.

The issue, which is sub-labeled "The Decameron Project," was inspired by Giovanni Bocaccio's "The Decameron," which was written as the plague ravaged Florence in the 14th century.

The project features new short stories by 29 authors including Margaret Atwood, Tommy Orange, Edwidge Danitcat, David Mitchell and others.