Wrinkle

I had intended to grow up and become Madeleine L’Engle. That is: I would be a very serious artist. I would be an artist like a monk or nun is a monk or nun. She said that’s how it was. I planned to be poor and have everything serve that. I planned to meet a […]

With A Hammer

“It was solidly bolted on, and there was nothing to be done.” At a party I was denied the opportunity to tell the story of Dali getting his head caught in the diving helmet and almost suffocating. Young men. I generally pursue the oldest attendees at a party, as I figure they have more good […]

The Library

The ceiling of the Library of Congress is embossed with aluminum. Aluminum, the tour guide tells us, was a precious metal. Once. On the top there is a torch. Torches are prominently featured. As are: Minerva, owls, and women showing or unshowing one or both of their breasts, it varies a great deal. Minerva has […]

Sirens

The ceiling of our church is the underside of a piano, those rolls and baubles, carved rods, that make fancy furniture from rude trees. The service had been: nine slain. People had cried, well, Episcopalian cried– sniffling and wiping eyes. When I stood in the water the evening after the day at the beach, I […]