Robert Howard
Bio
Author of fiction, screenplays, poetry, essays.
Stories (2)
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Pictures at an Exhibition
Michael has always lived on the outskirts; in the suburbs, nickel and dime jobs, but mostly in his mind. By dreaming big he's escaped the poverty of his surroundings. What's saved his life is selective memory. He can recall next to nothing about his first decade on the planet and chooses to forget most of the second. Solitude has been his saviour, spending long, luxurious afternoons in the dream spa. What is he dreaming about? Images.
By Robert Howard5 years ago in Journal
Pictures at an Exhibition
Karl sits at a red light in driving rain. He's holding a paper cup of black coffee. Late afternoon light is gray and romantic. A perfect time, he thinks, to meet Polly at Barnes & Noble for a browse. What he wants to talk to her about is politics; she's a lefty, like him. In their small, polluted city, progressive thought is as rare as a vegan restaurant. Karl craves his fix with Polly like a cerebral lover. She wears sexy, smart girl glasses and has a slender, sinuous body. Being next to her stopped his heart, once, when the only thing between them was mutual love of books, art, and David Lynch movies (Inland Empire, Wild At Heart). Now that artistic success has become important, she's flailing at the thought of failure. Polly's an explorer, sometimes so locked in thought patterns that she becomes blocked. Then Karl gets a call— “Wanna go browse?”
By Robert Howard5 years ago in Journal
