I just got my October issue of The New Criterion. The magazine usually comes right before the beginning of the listed month, but this go round it didn’t. September passed and each October day as my wife and I ended our walk with a mailbox check I’ve made the same stupid semi-joke wondering if my “trending towards old Criterion” had arrived.

I’m not sure if the one I got today is the one I was wondering about. If you don’t get your copy, or if your copy is damaged, they have a number you can call “within 90 days of issue date for a replacement copy.” I only called two days ago and they told me to allow one to two weeks for delivery so this may be a lickity-quick replacement or a foot dragging original. Either way, I have another copy out there.