Here at The Gazelle, we work hard to bring you interesting, informative content that you can enjoy and engage with. But what do we read when we aren’t in production every Saturday, working late into the night? The Weekly Graze is a series in which The Gazelle’s staff members pick their favorite written pieces from the past week, in the hope that you might discover some interesting reads too.

Supriya Kamath Copy Chief

The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien

The Things They Carried is an incredible collection of short stories based on O’Brien’s experiences in the Vietnam War. Every story in the collection is stunning: a powerful gunshot-like glimpse into the stark horrors of war juxtaposed with familiar realities like heartbreak and friendship. Through characters that seem impossibly real, the book transports readers to unfamiliar situations by accessing experiences that anyone could relate to, such as lost love and the comfort of home. And if the prospect of reading stories about war sounds a bit too depressing for you, read the book simply for the perfection of O’Brien’s writing. “It comes down to gut instinct,” he writes in the story entitled, How to Tell A True War Story. “A true war story, if truly told, makes the stomach believe.” O’Brien has certainly made me believe: in the power of words, in the restorative magic of the perfectly-crafted sentence and most importantly, in the art of telling beautiful stories simply.

Priyanka Lakhiani Deputy News Editor

Security in a Bright Yellow Suitcase, Deanna Clevesy

I am unabashedly addicted to the New York Times’ Modern Love column. I found this article — one I’ve read several times since its publishing — especially captivating. To read about the clichéd journey of an emotionally-restrained flight risk regaining her faith in romance from the leaving-a-toothbrush perspective was unusually refreshing, and I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between the article and relationships in the Saadiyat bubble. Although cross-campus walks to Residential College A5 for a timid freshman hardly require a yellow suitcase and a MetroCard, it is comforting to remember that both dating and breakups are equally difficult on the other side of the world, and that there really is hope for the most untrusting of us.

Tom Klein News Editor

On the Road, Jack Kerouac

Based on the travels of Jack Kerouac and his friends’ road-trip around 1950s America, the novel follows Kerouac as an aspiring writer traveling around the United States after World War II. Besides documenting the restlessness many U.S. Americans felt following World War II, the book offers extensive commentary on the nature of human existence vis-à-vis Kerouac’s various encounters. On The Road is an excellent read for the retrospective world traveler looking for meaning behind it all, and for those looking for a snapshot of the famed 1950s of the United States.

Larayb Abrar Features Editor

Fractured Lands: How the Arab World Came Apart, Scott Anderson

In this long-form feature story published in the New York Times Magazine, Scott Anderson attempts to tell the story of the factors that led to the destabilization of the Middle East — from the 2003 U.S. American invasion of Iraq to the rise of the Islamic State group. Anderson builds his narrative through the personal accounts of six characters in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. This is not only a moving work of high-quality journalism but also an insightful look into the Middle East region and the catastrophes it has had to endure.