“I’ve been rereading your story. I think it’s about me in a way that might not be flattering, but that’s okay. We dream and dream of being seen as we really are and then finally someone looks at us and sees us truly and we fail to measure up. Anyway: story received, story included. You looked at me long enough to see something mysterioso under all the gruff and bluster. Thanks. Sometimes you get so close to someone you end up on the other side of them.” ThinkingWayLooksLongEndsSometimesEnoughStoriesDreamMightSidesFailingOkayThanksFlatteringRereadingBluster Author:Richard Siken
“Eventually something you love is going to be taken away. And then you will fall to the floor crying. And then, however much later, it is finally happening to you: you’re falling to the floor crying thinking, “I am falling to the floor crying,” but there’s an element of the ridiculous to it — you knew it would happen and, even worse, while you’re on the floor crying you look at the place where the wall meets the floor and you realize you didn’t paint it very well.” ThinkingWellsLooksHappensFallRealizingLove IsTakenCryWallElementsHappeningsPaintRidiculousSomething You Love Author:Richard Siken
“He could build a city. Has a certain capacity. There’s a niche in his chest where a heart would fit perfectly and he thinks if he could just maneuver one into place – well then, game over.” IfsThinkingWellsHeartCertainGamesCitiesFitCapacityChestsNicheGame Over Author:Richard Siken
“Let me tell you what I do know: I am more than one thing, and not all of those things are good. The truth is complicated. It’s two-toned, multi-vocal, bittersweet. I used to think that if I dug deep enough to discover something sad and ugly, I’d know it was something true. Now I’m trying to dig deeper. I didn’t want to write these pages until there were no hard feelings, no sharp ones. I do not have that luxury. I am sad and angry and I want everyone to be alive again. I want more landmarks, less landmines. I want to be grateful but I’m having a hard time with it.” IfsThinkingKnowsWantWritingTryingTwoHardEnoughFeelingsUsedAliveOne ThingTruth IsPagesLet MeAngryGratefulUglyDeeperComplicatedLuxuryHard TimesBe GratefulVocalBittersweetLandmarksHaving A Hard TimeLandmines Author:Richard Siken
