Monday, August 25, 2008



He tried to hate them because
they were enjoying themselves.
He collected some hate,
aimed it, and tossed it,
then knew right away
it was just a boomerang.
There was no one to hate
but himself.

David Goodis
The Wounded and the Slain
1955

Monday, August 18, 2008



Brandy, he thought.
Actually, it was
carbolic acid.
Thus Philibert Faroux,
of Noroy, Oise,
outlived his spree by
a mere two hours.

Félix Fénéon
Novels in Three Lines
1906
(translated by Luc Sante)

Monday, August 11, 2008



I sat up at the counter and
pretended to look the menu over
but I was watching Stella.
I was never so glad
to see anybody in my life.
There was something about her
that got me.  She wasn't
all over you.  She had
that cool aloofness--
luscious figure, soft skin.
I watched her fill
two bowls of cereal.

Marty Holland
Fallen Angel
1945

Monday, August 4, 2008



It was a woman's gun,
a little pearl-handled automatic,
not as big as his hand
as he let it rest in his lap,
but there's no difference between
being killed with one of them
and with a .45 unless
it's prestige you're after.

Charles Williams
Hell Hath No Fury
1953