“Whenever you see flies or insects in a still life—a wilted petal, a black spot on the apple—the painter is giving you a secret message. He’s telling you that living things don’t last—it’s all temporary. Death in life. That’s why they’re called natures mortes. Maybe you don’t see it at first with all the beauty and bloom, the little speck of rot. But if you look closer—there it is.”

American novelist

Donna Tartt is an American novelist known for her three novels, The Secret History, The Little Friend, and The Goldfinch. Her work has made her a notable figure in contemporary American fiction. The Secret History appeared in 1992, followed by The Little Friend in 2002 and The Goldfinch in 2013. The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was later adapted into a 2019 film. In 2014, Time magazine included her on its list of the 100 Most Influential People.