On Sheila Heti’s “Alphabetical Diaries”

CY TWOMBLY, the American abstract expressionist, is best known for his graffiti-like paintings scrawled in large loops. He is less known for his photography, although it may reveal more of his perspective than his painting does. Cabbages, carnations, Carrara marble—they’re all reimaged through Twombly’s lens. The photographs are lush and confectionary, textured and intimate. I experienced this same intimacy when I read Alphabetical Diaries (2024), the first book-length work of nonfiction from Sheila Heti.