A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

by Anthony Marra

“How’s the book?” Khassan winced. Not the right sentence. “I’m giving up on that,” he said. “It’s not writing itself?” “History writes itself. It doesn’t need my assistance.” “But it’s your life’s work.” “Your life’s work could be scrubbing piss from a toilet bowl. Work isn’t meaningful just because you spend your life doing it.”