"The Boy Detective Fails" by Joe Meno

In our town—our town of shadows, our town of mystery—it seems our buildings have, without reason, begun to disappear completely. Still full of their loyal inhabitants, the buildings and the people all disintegrate soundlessly. The air has been hard to breathe, full of regret and the glassy voices of the unsurprised dead. Our commuters have begun carrying photographs of their loved ones with them to work. On the bus, we look at each other, pictures of our sad wives and doubtful children huddled close to our chests, quietly imagining the silent elaborations of our own deaths. We are disappointed coming home that evening because the many photos betray our cowardice: We live in a town that is disappearing, and worse, like the buildings, our hope is gone and we are no longer surprised by anything.

Friday, April 17, 2009

The Boy Scholastic Misses the Stars

Whose idea was it to put universities inside cities? The Boy Scholastic wishes they were like old monasteries -- out in the middle of the wilderness. But this is just because he wishes to hear the voice of one crying out, ειπεν ησαιας ο προφητης.

24Jesus rose up and went out into the land around Tyre. And he went into a house not wanting to be discovered, but he was unable to be hidden; 25but immediately a woman heard of him, whose daughter had an unclean spirit [πνευμα ακαθαρτον], she came and fell down at his feet; 26this woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth; and she prayed [ηρωτα] that he would cast out the demon [δαιμονιον] in her daughter. 27And he said to her: Let [αφες] first [πρωτον] the children be fed, for it would not be just to snatch the children's bread to throw to the dogs. 28But she replied and said to him: Lord, but the dogs eat the children's crumbs from under the table. 29and he said to her: on account of what was said, get up! the demon [δαιμονιον] has gone out of your daughter. 30And going out of his house she found her child thrown out of bed but the demon had left her.

Things of interest: the switch from 'πνευμα ακαθαρτον' to 'διαμονιον' (represented by switching from "unclean spirit" to "demon"), the use of αφιημι to signify an imperative/command (it usually translates as "let go" or "release", but I can see "permit"), and, of course, the dialog itself (which is a delightful mystery to me).


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