FRIENDLY CITY

In 2024, Sofia Samatar spent the year documenting her walks around her hometown of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Every week, she wrote about her experiences for the local online news outlet, The Harrisonburg Citizen. The fifty-two pieces collected here incorporate regional lore, eccentric characters, flora and fauna, and the changing weather. Inspired by a variety of urban writers, including Walter Benjamin, Harryette Mullen, and Virginia Woolf, Samatar’s essays uncover hidden nooks and unexpected histories, illuminating the pleasures of walking and the character of a small and special place.