the assassin

Somehow, I’ve been asked to participate in a rehabilitation program for dangerous prisoners. The prison is large and gray and nondescript, and you can’t escape the feeling of being trapped once you’re inside. The prisoners are terrifying. And these are the ones ready to be rehabilitated. My initial assignment does not work out well, since he appears to be more… Continue reading the assassin

masks and shadows

Changing the sheet on my daughter’s crib tonight, strange flashes of faces in her room — white and black, bold stripes and contrast, large teeth and bulging eyes framed by wild hair . . . almost like the stark, menacing glee of Japanese oni masks. These flashes, somewhere between a mental image and a visualization — not quite registered by the… Continue reading masks and shadows