After Stein

In the unkown there is selling, in the starlet there is top billing, in post-scripting there is late forming, in forewarning there is projecting. In forewarning there is projecting. In projecting anything is illuminating, in projecting, anything is obstructing, in projecting there is prediction, in projecting there is prescience, in projecting there is persistence and entirely too late there is vision. All the futures have finished and all the omens have typecasting and all the silver has isolation and all the frame has framing. This makes the nobody.

Excercises in Style

Heroic

Having Proudly boarded his Noble Steed the S Bus, the Hero, Larger than Life, demonstrates several highly valued righteous qualities and abilities: he uncomplainingly and accurately compensates the Wise and World-Weary Father Figure at the wheel, who Rewards the Hero with a ticket and Sagacious Counsel: Journey to the rear platform. Courteously picking his way through the rush hour crowd, he keeps a Brave eye peeled for Fatal Women, who would Diabolically wield their Cunning powers of intellect and beauty to weaken the Hero’s Steadfast Resolve. The Hero Dutifully pauses to help an Old Crone scrape a mound of hardened gum from the sole vacant seat. The Crone mumbles incoherently, pressing the gum into the Hero’s palm with one impossibly Gnarled finger. Birds peck insistently at the window behind her Withered head. Mice scamper around the Hero’s boots. A disturbance draws his attention. He witnesses a long-necked Dunce in a felt cap accusing an Innocent Passenger of repeatedly treading on his feet. While the scuffle escalates the Hero’s shrewd observation skills Expose the Malevolent Actions of the mice, who are raining blows upon the Dunce’s impractical shoes with their tiny fists. The Hero Dauntlessly lifts his boot to Courageously stomp on the Ferocious Monsters, halting only to Come to the Rescue of a Fallen Child. As he Gallantly Delivers it back into the Tender Embrace of its Mother Figure, she sheds Grateful Tears into his hands, moistening the stiff old gum still clenched there. The Hero opens his palm to see a soft putty of pure gold. Wonderingly, the Hero looks toward the Old Crone’s seat only to find that she’s Mysteriously No Longer There. The Dunce sidles into the spot and clutches his knees to his chest.

Returning from his Quest, the Hero re-encounters the long-necked Dunce at the gare Saint-Lazare, being Authoritatively accosted by a Prince Searching city-wide for the missing overcoat to fit his recently acquired glass button. The Prince brandishes the button at the Dunce, excitedly examining his floppy lapels.

The Hero Valiantly chews his golden gum. His Trusty Mount turns into a pumpkin.