Dolls

My Barbie phase was rather short. My Sesame Guy phase went on forever. Yes, Barbie could wear clothes– a ruffly peach ball gown, a fluffy blue frock. That was her main advantage. On the minus side, Barbie was always single, in her 20s, and she was only qualified for jobs like photographer or magazine editor. […]

Secrets

Something terrible had happened, and I needed to tell the authorities. I made a solemn recording to offer anonymously the following information: the neighbors’ babysitter had had her boyfriend over. She had been expressly forbidden to have her boyfriend over. They talked. Yes, I was burdened with this information. How could I have borne it? […]

Maps

The pieces hang in museums and galleries like stars, hang there like they spontaneously appeared in their corporeal forms. I understand much better that books do not get spat out fully formed. For good or ill, I know that they come in blobs and spits and sprints and marathons. I am an enthusiastic painter and […]

The War

All my growing-up years, guns were in movies and (I imagined) in the hands of people less interesting and educated than me. I had no idea why anyone would want or need a gun. I moved to the city eleven years ago. I remember hearing someone got shot in the parking lot of the drugstore […]