You really should have seen the rest of the house, and the neighborhood, Richard. And the neighbors—my god. They were all out on their porches or working in their fucking yards or whatever. It’s horrible, unbelievable the way people will live. Identical houses and little squares of “nature” and it goes on and on forever. How can they tell who lives where and what is what? And they looked at me like some sort of criminal when I pulled up in my rental chariot. This one GIGANTIC woman watched me very carefully as I let myself into the house and I kind of wanted to STAY there for the rest of the day just to make her wonder what was going on inside. I wish I had been wearing long silvery gloves or a hat with wires that connected to my neck. But really it was just too depressing—completely empty except for IT (the couch), and you know how your voice and shoes echo in an empty apartment? It was like that but louder. Worse. It’s really a very sad little house.

SCOTT PRENDERGAST