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Shirley Jackson
Posted: August 13th, 2010, 7:51 am
by diesel dyke
In "The Third Baby's the Easiest," she arrives at the hospital to give birth for the third time, contractions already under way.
"Name?" the desk clerk said to me politely, her pencil poised.
"Name," I said vaguely. I remembered, and told her.
"Age?" she asked. "Sex? Occupation?"
"Writer," I said.
"Housewife," she said.
"Writer," I said.
"I'll just put down housewife," she said. "Doctor? How many children?"
"Two," I said. "Up to now."
"Normal pregnancy?" she said. "Blood test? X-ray?"
"Look—" I said.
"Husband's name?" she said. "Address? Occupation?"
"Just put down housewife," I said. "I don't remember his name, really."
"Legitimate?"
"What?" I said.
"Is your husband the father of this child? Do you have a husband?"
"Please," I said plaintively, "can I go on upstairs?"
http://www.slate.com/id/2253850/pagenum/all/#p2
Posted: August 14th, 2010, 2:16 am
by SadLuckDame
And the babies keep on coming.
My Mom said to me tonight that some people like babies, they just take them right up in their arms, any baby too, any baby is as good as anybody's baby and some people don't like a baby around at all.
I would have had another baby, but it just didn't work out like that because some people like people, they like any kind of people, but some people just don't like too many people at all. I never stopped liking babies, but I stopped liking people.
Posted: August 14th, 2010, 4:45 am
by judih
this is a book, sadluck:
Chapter 1
"And the Babies Keep on Coming.
My Mom said to me tonight that some people like babies, they just take them right up in their arms, any baby too, any baby is as good as anybody's baby and some people don't like a baby around at all.
I would have had another baby, but it just didn't work out like that because some people like people, they like any kind of people, but some people just don't like too many people at all. I never stopped liking babies, but I stopped liking people."
(excellent start for a memoir/biography/autobiography)
Posted: August 14th, 2010, 4:49 pm
by SadLuckDame
Thanks for that, Judih. I may have scrapped it, you've pinned it down for me.
Posted: August 14th, 2010, 11:01 pm
by judih
this is good original stuff. very feminine, very honest.
Posted: August 16th, 2010, 11:52 am
by SadLuckDame
I want to be feminine and honest, you know to love the female voice. There's such a beauty behind the greats like Janis, Anais, Virginia, Plath, Emily, Bronte sisters, I've such a female list in mind. Makes me think of mr.'s poem on grand women.
Had a dream about these 'boxing' lines. I can't seem to recollect the whole of it, only the meaning perhaps. What I think the lines meant were not to get an idea of what I am, because it may not be what I'm to be, in other words a control issue, instead of free fall. With free fall it's to go like the fallen leaf on water, letting water be the decider and I to enjoy it's point of view.
Thanks for the kind thoughts, Judih. We women and our talks, and if we can talk with men.