A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Read Free Page B

her skin and the blood rushing beneath it, drains me of hatred.
    The music from the pool changed.
    “ Ooh, I like this song, ” she said, doing a zig-zag with her neck.
    Finally, this edition reflects the author ’ s request that all previous epigraphs—including “ The heart ’ s immortal thirst to be completely known and all forgiven. ” (H. Van Dyke); “ [My poems] may hurt the dead, but the dead belong to me. ” (A. Sexton); “ Not every boy thrown to the wolves becomes a hero. ” (J. Barth); “ Everything will be forgotten and nothing will be redressed. ” (M. Kundera); “ Why not just write what happened? ” (R. Lowell); “ Ooh, look at me, I ’ m Dave, I ’ m writing a book! With all my thoughts in it! La la la! ” (Christopher Eggers) —be removed, as he never really saw himself as the type of person who would use epigraphs.
    · August 1999
    CONTENTS
    Rules and Suggestions for Enjoyment of This Book.............vii
    Preface to This Edition..................................ix
    Acknowledgments....................................xxi
    Incomplete Guide to Symbols and Metaphors..............xxxviii
    PART I.
    Through the small tall bathroom window, etc.............................1
    Scatology—video games—blood— “ blind leaders of the blind ” [Bible]—some violence—embarrassment, naked men—mapping
    PART II.
    Please look. Can you see us, etc......................................................47
    California—ocean plunging, frothing—Little League, black mothers— rotation and substitution—hills, views, roofs, toothpicks—numbing and sensation—Johnny Bench—motion
    PART III.
    The enemies list, etc..........................................................................71
    Demotion—teachers driven before us—menu—plane crash—light— knife—State of the Family Room Address—half-cantaloupes—so like a fragile girl—old model, new model—Bob Fosse Presents
    PART IV.
    Oh I could be going out, sure ........................................................105
    But no. No no!—the weight—seven years one ’ s senior, how fitting— John Doe—decay v. preservation—burgundy, bolts
    PART V.
    Outside it ’ s blue-black and getting darker, etc........................123
    Stephen, murderer, surely—The Bridge—Jon and Pontius Pilate— John, Moodie, et al.—lies—a stolen wallet—the 99 th percentile— Mexican kids—lineups, lights—a trail of blood, and then silence
    PART VI.
    When we hear the news at first ...................................................167
    [Some mild nudity]—all the hope of history to date—an interview— death and suicide—mistakes—keg beer—Mr. T—Steve the Black Guy—a death faked, perhaps (the gray car)—a possible escape, via rope, of sheets—a broken door—betrayal justified
    PART VII.
    Fuck it. Stupid show, etc.................................................................239
    Some bitterness, some calculation—Or anything that looks un-us—more nudity, still mild—of color, who is of color?—Chakka the Pakuni— hairy all the crotches are, bursting from panties and briefs—The Marina—The flying-object maneuver—drama or blood or his mouth foaming or—a hundred cymbals—would you serve them grapes? Would that be wrong?— “ So I ’ m not allowed ” —Details of all this will be good
    PART VIII.
    We can ’ t do anything about the excrement...............................281
    The Future— “ Slacker? Not me, ” laughs Hillman—Meath: Oh yeah, we love that multicultural stuff—Fill out forms— “ a nightmare WASP Utopia ” —a sexual sort of lushness—There has been Spin the Bottle— “ I don ’ t know ” — “ Thank you, Jesus ” — “ I ’ m dying, Shal ”
    PART IX.
    Robert Urich says no. We were so close .....................................311
    Laura Branigan, Lori Singer, Ed Begley, Jr.—to be thought of as smart, legitimate, permanent. So you do your little thing—a bitchy little