The New Yorker: "I.D." by Joyce Carol Oates

I'm not a JCO fan, ordinarily, but in my estimation this is the best story of the year so far.Lisette Mulvey is in Middle School and her mother may or may not be a blackjack dealer in Atlantic City. Lisette isn't sure because her mother isn't terribly reliable. In fact, she's been gone since sometime the previous week, and Lisette, who is recovering from eye surgery, isn't doing a great job of taking care of herself—not bathing, she lost the prescription for medication she needs for her...