Американские боги

           ThiscalmstheJews:therewillbelife,theyassurethemselves,aftertheshowers.Andtheyarewrong.Ourmansupervisesthedetailtakingthebodiestotheovens;andifthereisanythinghefeelsbadabout,itisthathestillallowsthegassingofvermintoaffecthim.Wereheatrulygoodman,heknows,hewouldfeelnothingbutjoy,astheearthiscleansedofitspests.

           Leavehim;hecutstoodeep.Heistooclosetousandithurts.

           Therewasagirl,andherunclesoldher.Putlikethatitseemssosimple.

           Noman,proclaimedDonne,isanIsland,andhewaswrong.Ifwewerenotislands,wewouldbelost,drownedineachothers’tragedies.Weareinsulated(awordthatmeans,literally,remember,madeintoanisland)fromthetragedyofothers,byourislandnature,andbytherepetitiveshapeandformofthestories.Weknowtheshape,andtheshapedoesnotchange.Therewasahumanbeingwhowasborn,lived,andthen,bysomemeansorother,died.There.Youmayfillinthedetailsfromyourownexperience.Asunoriginalasanyothertale,asuniqueasanyotherlife.Livesaresnowflakes—uniqueindetail,formingpatternswehaveseenbefore,butaslikeoneanotheraspeasinapod(andhaveyoueverlookedatpeasinapod?Imean,reallylookedatthem?There’snotachanceyou’dmistakeoneforanother,afteraminute’scloseinspection.)

           Weneedindividualstories.