Among the very large collection of phonograph records which the Library maintained were perhaps a hundred which Mr Kelso called his Horrible Examples. These were pieces of music which he despised, sung or played by people whose manner of interpretation he despised … It had taken Pearl a long time to recognize and admit to herself that just as there were times when she had to buy and eat a dozen doughnuts in one great

– The lake in the distance, shining too brightly in the sun. – An old white serving/casserole dish of my parents’ that I remember admiring even in childhood. – Three red apples inside said serving dish. – My dog, laying sideways in a patch of sunlight. – A Christmas photo of me at age two sitting on my dad’s lap, who is dressed as Santa. I am crying my little eyes out. – The only

To me, the most beautiful sound of all the sounds is the Finnish language. It sounds like a steady rain on a pile of firewood. It sounds like birch trees and the bluest lakes and wood fires in the snow and I want to be part of it so desperately. I want to create those beautiful sounds but when I open my mouth a dying hyena comes out instead and I swear it will never