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What I'm Reading

 I think Katherine Heiny is a genius, but also, she is a genius who writes funny and suspenseful stories about couples with young children who live on the East Coast of the United States. So, she is like my dream writer.


This is how it began. At least, this is how it began for Lindy. Like so many other nights, with Lindy getting home from the station as Rob was leaving for acting class. They kissed quickly and then Lindy began unbuttoning her coat while Rob zipped his up. A couple dressing and undressing in reverse.

"The girls are in bed--waiting for stories," Rob said, his sentences jerky as he wound a red scarf around his neck. "Maud skipped her nap--lunches are packed for tomorrow--chili for dinner."

Lindy wondered if the scarf was new. It looked expensive. Sometimes Rob went through periods of buying himself luxuries--a cashmere scarf, a Muji turtleneck, a new watch strap--which they couldn't afford. But then it would be followed by a period of frugality, so maybe it worked out.

"Sorry I ran late," Lindy said. "This Sri Lanka story is a nightmare."

"No problem." Rob smiled. He was always happy when he went to class. "Fame can wait fifteen minutes. I'll be back late." 

Then he was gone, the zipper jingling, and Lindy shut the door quietly behind him....


On the surface, this is just an exchange of information. One child skipped a nap; storytime hasn't occurred yet. There's stress at work. Rob spits out the facts in a hurry, because he is just so eager to be done with his parenting shift. Form matches content: Rushed dad, choppy sentences.

The extraordinary feature is the attention to clothing. Lindy notices that there is "dressing and undressing, but in reverse." It's like someone inept is directing a porn film. Attention to clothing becomes attention to one particular scarf: It could be a gift from a woman, but this thought is intolerable. So it could be another case of Rob wasting money (which is another intolerable thought). Instead of bringing up her anger about the money situation, Lindy just feels guilty about her judgmental thoughts. So she finds a reason to apologize; it's easier to apologize for something than to begin a confrontation.

Heiny generally has many plates spinning at once, and she makes the work look easy. I'm excited every time she releases a new book.

P.S. I'm away next week! We're headed to Mexico. I'm not sure when I'll start writing again. It shouldn't be long.
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