The Geometry of Closets (fiction)
this story was accepted for publication by the Summerset Review
New Yorker article on Asperger's
chancelucky
Labels: closets accordion doors asperger's syndrome and friendship dungeons and dragons
posted by Chancelucky @ 10:57 PM
12 Comments:
My best friend is an organizational consultant. She does a lot of closet configurations. I wonder if she's ever had to create a secret post-fucking hiding spot?
Seems like there'd be a market for it in these houses occupied by multiple unrelated single people. I imagine this is different from people who actually have sex in the closet.
Thanks for taking the time to look at the story Beckeye.
This was a great story CL. I loved the accordion door that no longer plays in harmony and the whole geometry of closets. That reminded me a little of 'House of Leaves'.
When I got to I almost tell him, “That’s why we’re friends,”... I had a good laugh.
Many thanks Dale. I haven't read House of Leaves yet, but given the reception it got I'm flattered that it called it to mind at all for you.
I've never figured out why accordion closet doors never work right after the first couple years or why they even make them.
Their only use seems to be so that people like you can create art in writing about them.
There's a large part of House of Leaves that deals with the dimensions of the house in question and I really liked the way you approached it in your story.
I looked at the listing on Amazon. He was a lot bolder about it in that he made it literal.
I've always liked the idea of closets as being spaces that hold more than they can contain. Or is it contain more than they can hold?
It was a literal approach but a confounding one with the ever changing dimensions of his house.
I just finished the Time Traveler's Wife....If you like being confounded...this is the book.
I only enjoy being confounded on a part time basis so I'll think about it.
Or you could read part of the book...
This is a terrific story. I love that the protagonist is so clueless in some realms -- Why are you in the closet with nothing on? -- and so keen a recorder. One would be happy to have another chapter/episode or two on Byron & Melanie &'I'.
Byron seems close to sinister and, with considerable chagrin, I recall the all but moth to flame tendency of young women (Old women? middleaged women?) to think they can fix some sullen brooding sadly seldom Heathcliff starving artist.
From the vantage of my ancient age, I'd say my Mother was probably right, tho ignored: "It's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor one." The romance of poverty wears off quicker than fleas leap from mangy dog to mangy dog.
"I" makes an interesting Sherlock Holmes. He finds clues tho he is emotionally turgid. He has the observational talents of Sherlock but not the analytical talents. It's oddly satisfying that we know more than he does.
That Melanie beats Byron at Scrabble is an icepick detail.
Thanks Mr. Pogblog,
To me, the relatively spartan lifestyle was more a product of being just out of college not a suggestion that any of the characters were destined to be rich, poor, otherwise.
I've thought about another Melanie story post-Byron, but I'm not sure I'd want to do more Byron-Melanie stories per se, it's hard to go there for various reasons.
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