from Denis Johnson, Tree of Smoke (2007)
She'd come at just the right time. This was her atmosphere. This was the light for her, for sad, pale skin below the tanned neck and above the rough elbows, for a virgin martyr's poise, for her unexpectant waiting--her right calf, rather thick and like a peasant's, dangling from the bed and the foot plunged into shadow near the floor, which was of old wood, the other leg akimbo and the sole of its foot against the other knee, making a number 4 with her legs as she lay back on the bed, her hand across her breasts, the other behind her head--pond-light, church-light. Had she known how he stared, she'd never have allowed it. But she turned her eyes to him and looked at him full on as if he didn't matter, without any change of her expression. She wasn't, herself, beautiful. Her moments were beautiful.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
i propose a literary gallimaufry, wherein we post the tastiest morsels of whatever we happen to be reading. the resulting stew shall make for a delicious feast, perhaps at times even deserving a 'food metaphor' label. no hurry to post-- only do so when you find something especially succulent (pun not intended with regards to the inaugural entry).
i propose a literary gallimaufry, wherein we post the tastiest morsels of whatever we happen to be reading. the resulting stew shall make for a delicious feast, perhaps at times even deserving a 'food metaphor' label. no hurry to post-- only do so when you find something especially succulent (pun not intended with regards to the inaugural entry).
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(63)
-
▼
March
(14)
- interiors
- the poison dart of my personal angel of death
- the revolutionary spirit(s)
- the audacity of thought
- her moments
- those smug adult prefaces
- this country will kill you in a heartbeat
- the nightly obliteration of being
- in which pore men be but the lokers on
- support our troops
- many are the dericks
- how I, or you, or we, might feel, sometimes
- click and flow (or peck and stare?)
- sleeping away from home
-
▼
March
(14)
2 comments:
that's a great passage from a great novel. it makes me want to selectively re-read it (especially now that i have conquered the white whale...)
The Colonel has some Ahab in him, too, now that you mention those books together.
Post a Comment