Archive


The Poor Boy Gives Up The Burden of Being Good

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Originally published on May 1, 1998

High above the Illinois prairie a jet flies eastward. A man sets his drink down on the tray in front of him and looks out the window at an expanse of snow. He sees the skyline of Chicago in the distance below. Perfect love drives out fear, yet who is perfect? Once a year a [...]

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Final Exam

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Originally published on October 1, 1997

Essay Question: Compare the touch of a lover’s hand on your shoulder to a red leaf falling on the grass. Are the weight of these gestures enough to break a heart? Make sure your answer includes a note of frost. Multiple Choice: a. To live without your lover is a waste of the body. b. [...]

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Touchstone

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Originally published on October 1, 1997

In Old Jerusalem there used to be The Stone of Losses. If you lost something, and another man found it, you would meet at the stone, he on one side and you on the other. You would declare, I lost my father, I lost my house, I lost my lover and my hope. He would [...]

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Let’s Review

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Originally published on September 1, 1997

He will be 21 in September. After dinner he took his sweater off and lounged in a T-shirt. I have not felt so vulnerable in years…or so old. He drinks (two bottles of wine with dinner), and smokes (cigarettes). He pees a lot (see above). All through dinner I wore my silver ring with the [...]

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