Neat
by Ann Bogle
B.E.B. is my sister and studied visual art at Macalester. She acts like a second-generation artist. She is five years younger than I am and eleven years younger than our brother, P.S.B., whose art at five was boss. Later, he had a permit to buy pot in Oakland and moved near Yosemite. His present initiative is to teach audio recording to junior high kids. His audio archive of Bay Area musicians extends along two walls, twenty-five by fifteen feet, in drawers of C.D.s hundreds deep. Where will it go, I asked, permanently. “I'm starting to think about that,” he said. I pray that my papers will go to a medical library. What a lousy prayer. I was wistful at B.E.B.'s graduation. Bagpipes played and Kofi Annan spoke. Kids without religion yet steeped in heritage circled plum trees in robes. Presbyterian paneling is there in craft.
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Author's Note
Published in Blue Fifth Review's December 2012 ekphrastic issue, paired with Dorothee Lang's "Berlin Past and Present."
I love this voice. The rhythm works like something Indian or in one of those schemes requiring a quarter beat out of our rhythm systems. I don’t know. Something goes on here that I can’t quite touch, like a word I know but can’t remember on the tip of my tongue. Sweet.
nice. yes. *
Steve, thank you for your mysteriously musical comment. The story came almost directly from a short email I wrote to four professors and professionals who will write letters of recommendation on my behalf. I converted the email to a story last night and reread the original email tonight. The email and story contain similar information, and yet, as you point out, the rhythms have gone quarter-beat.
Thanks, James Claffey.
Ann, I don't come here much anymore as you know, but I saw your note in the forum, clicked on the link and well, I love this. I love the form and the voice, the rhythm, all all all. Every sentence is great, but particularly: "Where will it go, I asked, permanently." and "Presbyterian paneling is there in craft."
Extremely good.
Fascinating people, sister, brother and N, in the hands of a brilliant teller.
Thanks to Kathy and Pia for earlier comments.