Sunday, November 04, 2007

From "A Boy's Own Story"

Here he comes, blood drained from his dark cheeks, lips purple and open to reveal wet, white teeth, legs lean and slightly bowed, the calves compact, not bulging, his whole body so intelligent that despite its hairiness nothing about it suggests an animal. He's the cautious, isolated man who sleeps alone, rises before dawn, runs, irons his chinos, pares his beautiful nails that haven't a single ridge or moon in them but that seem built up out of layer after layer of clear lacquer, who never seems to have a headache or hangover, who's a well-maintained machine but idling, idling, who approaches each new experience (the iconostasis doors break open and the black nave floods over with candlelight: Christ is risen) in a spirit of mildly detached curiousity, and yet nothing has touched him. He is vulnerable and he's untouched. He is a man to whom something is about to happen.

Isn't that gorgeous?

6 comments:

Landis said...

he's a man who's about to have a heart attack. or a seizure.

AND he has waaay too much time on his hands if he's workin his nails that much.

just sayin.

Michael said...

Yes, too much time, idling, idling. So sad!

But what do y'all think about a nice clear coat on a man's nails? Too much? I mean, it's not like I wear sandals in the winter here....

The Other Andrew said...

I met Edmund White once. Sweet, friendly man. Oh, and he gives good hugs.

Michael said...

Shutup! He's an icon.

I've finally gotten around to reading his stuff. Funny and sad and so beautifully detailed

Michael said...

PS I also finally watched "Mysterious Skin" which I think you'd heartily recommended, Andrew. Good call. I really enjoyed it and thought those two lead performances were stunning, yo.

The Other Andrew said...

No you shut up! Seriously, he did a book signing in my old home town of Adelaide like 20 years ago, and myself and a friend of mine got to chat with him and have some huggage. I was a bit star struck, and he could have gotten to home base if he'd wanted, because I'm nothing if not a literary starfucker.

"Mysterious Skin", catch up sweetie. LOVED IT. You're right about the two leads, but I also thought the two young ladies (Buffy's little sister and the kooky UFO girl - whatever their names are) were stellar too. I thought it was an amazing film.