Frith O’Steen

so i love wednesdays, cuz that’s when i get the New Yorker in my mailbox. i’ve subscribed to it for a few years now, and i really dig it because i learn all sorts of interesting info through well-written in-depth articles and i always feel better for having read it. (like having flaxseed in your morning oatmeal…it tastes pretty good, adds a little chewiness, a little nuttiness, but it’s also good for you so you can feel both fulfilled and ever so slightly smug for doing something nutritious). the New Yorker:flaxseed. (that’s a good thing, editors of the New Yorker! A compliment!).

Anyway, the one part I usually never get through is the fiction section, because they usually make me sad, plus they usually seem to not really go anywhere. (well, sometimes they get made into feature length films). but they seem to usually follow some sort of formula, and I think maybe I could get published if I can recreate it just right. so, with the greatest affection and respect for my favorite magazine in the world (tied with Entertainment Weekly), here’s what i would contribute:

Pieces of Cake - A Story

The girl walked outside. It was sunny, but not really too sunny. She had a plate of cupcakes with her. Not a full cake, but like little pieces of cake. She saw her childhood friend, back from school. He walked with a stranger. Russian? Korean? Who could say. She thought of bygone times. She thought of the future. She realized that she would always be disaffected and sad, no matter what. She offered her cupcakes to the couple (were they a couple? they seemed happy, but who can really ever tell?). It started to rain. They each took a cupcake. They walked on, for they had remembered to bring umbrellas. The girl thought that strange. Then she realized she was wet. She went inside. She made some more cupcakes. She would not frost this batch this time. No, not this time.

Think Ang Lee will be calling anytime soon? I visualize Maggie Gyllenhall as The Girl.