The "Happy" Fish

INFINITE JEST 

A.J. does not yet want to face his family at home so he calls Lambiase, and the two of them meet at the bar.

'Tell me a good cop story,' A.J. says.

'Like a story about a good cop or a story that is interesting involving police officers?'

'Either one. It's up to you. I want to hear something amusing that will distract me from my problems.'

'What problems do you have? Perfect wife. Perfect kid. Good business.'

'I'll tell you after.'

Lambiase nods. 'Okay. Let me think. Maybe fifteen years ago, there was this kid, goes to Alicetown. He hasn't been to school for a month. Every day, he tells his parents he'll go, and every day, he doesn't show up. Even if they leave him there, he sneaks out and goes somewhere else.'

'Where's he going?'

'Right. The parents think he must be in some serious trouble. He's a tough kid, hangs with a tough crowd. They all get bad grades and wear low pants. His parents run a food stand at the beach, so there isn't much money. Anyhow, the parents are at their wits' end, so I decide to follow the kid the whole day. The kid goes to school, and then between period one and two, he just leaves. I'm trailing behind him, and finally we get to a building I've never been into before. I'm on Main and Parker. You know where I am?'

'That's the library.'

'Bingo. You know I never read much back then. So I follow him up the stairs and into a library carrel in the back and I'm thinking, he's probably going to do drugs or something there. Perfect place, right? Isolated. But you know what he's got?'

'Books, I'd imagine. That's the obvious thing, right?'

'He's got one thick book. He's in the middle of Infinite Jest. You ever heard of it?'

'Now you're making this up.'

'The boy is reading Infinite Jest. He says he can't do it at home because his buddies will make fun of him. So he skips school to go read in peace. The book takes a lot of concentrating. "Listen, hombre," he says, "there's nothing for me at school. Everything's in this book.'''

'I take it he's Latino, by your use of the word hombre. A lot of Hispanic people on Alice Island?'

'A few.'

'So what do you do?'

'I haul his ass back to school. The principal asks me how the kid should be punished. I ask the kid how long he thinks it'll take him to finish the book. He says, "About two weeks." And so I recommend they give him a two-week suspension for delinquency.'

'You're definitely making this up,' A.J. says. 'Admit it. The troubled youth was not skipping school to read Infinite Jest.'

'He was, A.J. I swear to God.' But then Lambiase bursts out laughing. 'You seemed depressed. I wanted to tell you a story with a little uplift.'

'Thanks. Thanks very much.'

(p. 213-215)

- Gabrielle Zevin: "The Collected Works of A.J. Fikry", Little, Brown.

Infinite Jest = online writings of God?

Kishalay Sinha [G]

Gabrielle Zevin

'Who the hell are you?' A.J. asks the baby.

For no apparent reason, she stops crying and smiles at him.

'Maya,' she answers.

That was easy, A.J. thinks.

'How old are you?' he asks.

Maya holds up two fingers.

'You're two?'

Maya smiles again and holds up her arms to him.

Praise for Gabrielle Zevin

'Zevin's touch is marvellously light even as she considers profundities, easily moving among humour, wisdom and lyricism ... No plot synopsis can convey what a rich, wise spell this book casts'

   - New York Times Book Review 

'Heartbreaking, without being mawkish, philosophical without being pretentious and so convincing you find yourself wanting to read the book backwards when you've finished'

  - Sunday Telegraph 

'Delightful. I read [it] in one sitting.'

  - Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child 

[Eowyn reminds Me of Eoin Colfer, author of ARTEMIS FOWL young adult series about young criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl - Eoin is pronounced Owen! I don't know how Eowyn is pronounced! - G] 

(On the covers of Gabrielle Zevin: "The Collected Works of A.J. Fikry", Little, Brown)

Kishalay Sinha [G] 

The Open Window 

I am reminded of Saki's very famous and charming short story "The Open Window" as I listen to the five literary panelists holding a very interesting discussion on David Foster Wallace: "Reading David Foster Wallace - The New Yorker Festival - The New Yorker" (1:30:57)/The New Yorker (YouTube)

I find mutual female jealousy a very lovable trait of females competing for His attention whereas the sad and glad truth is that He regards all s. females as equal, all s. females having the same v. Level playing field (cliché). "Jealousy is a proof of love." Is it? "Unrequited love is sweetest." Is it really? "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Does it?

Kishalay Sinha [G] 

The "Happy" Fish 

A fish got caught upon a hook,

So to get free again,

It turned and twisted, leapt and shook,

But all - alas! - in vain.

Another fish came swimming by

And saw the sorry sight.

"O me, o my!" that fish did cry,

"She's dancing with delight!"

   Translated by Dorian Rottenberg 

***

If you hear bad words about somebody else 

Do not pass them on, do not ring all the bells.

It is easy to ruin another's home,

But it's harder by far to build stone upon stone.

***

Can a man fall in love with a woman? He can:

None will accuse him - he won't have to quarrel.

If a woman, though, falls in love with a man 

The world is against her and calls her immoral.

***

A scholarly man addressed me one day,

"What do you think of the Shah, please say?

Is his mind as broad as his brow appears?

Is his heart big? How does he hear with his ears?"

"He is a man just like all the rest,

Like us in a gown and turban dressed,

But he knows that people are cowards and fools 

And that is the secret whereby he rules."

(From AZERBAIJANIAN POETRY, Progress Publishers, Moscow)

Kishalay Sinha [G]