Carson, Anne -- Autobiography of Red

[mm511.livejournal.com]

OK, so, these are two of the chapters from Autobiography of Red, a novel-in-verse by Anne Carson. It is by far my favorite example of the written word -- poetry, prose, nonfiction, anything -- and quite possibly my favorite thing -- anything! -- in the world. I've read it at least five or six times since that first fateful reading about three years ago, and it truly gets better each time. If you have any interest in poetry -- or in a good, touching story -- whatsoever, I suggest you pick this book up immediately. Also, you really ought to read these two chapters. They're a bit on the longer side, but I took the time to type them, right?, so you can take the time to read them. Heh. ;-)

To summarize, Geryon is a boy who may or may not be a monster. He's led a relatively normal childhood, with a few bumps, when suddenly he experiences a bit of change...

VII. CHANGE

Somehow Geryon made it to adolescence.

---

Then he met Herakles and the kingdoms of his life all shifted down a few notches.
They were two superior eels
at the bottom of the tank and they recognized each other like italics.
Geryon was going into the Bus Depot
one Friday night about three a.m. to get change to call home. Herakles stepped off
the bus from New Mexico and Geryon
came fast around the corner of the platform and there it was one of those moments
that is the opposite of blindness.
The world poured back and forth between their eyes once or twice. Other people
wishing to disembark the bus from New Mexico
were jamming up behind Herakles who had stopped on the bottom step
with his suitcase in one hand
trying to tuck in his shirt with the other. Do you have change for a dollar?
Geryon heard Geryon say.
No. Herakles stared straight at Geryon. But I'll give you a quarter for free.
Why would you do that?
I believe in being gracious. Some hours later they were down
at the railroad tracks
standing close together by the switch lights. The huge night moved overhead
scattering drops of itself.
You're cold, said Herakles suddenly, your hands are cold. Here.
He put Geryon's hands inside his shirt.

After this, Geryon and Herakles become quite close; they spend almost all their time together, and one night, Geryon realizes he has a bit of an inquisitive side...

X. SEX QUESTION

Is it a question?

---

I better be getting home.
Okay.
They continued to sit. They were parked way out on the highway.
Cold night smell
coming in the windows. New moon floating white as a rib at the edge of the sky.
I guess I'm someone who will never be satisfied,
said Herakles. Geryon felt all nerves in him move to the surface of his body.
What do you mean satisfied?
Just--satisfied. I don't know. From far down the freeway came a sound
of fishhooks scraping the bottom of the world.
You know. Satisfied. Geryon was thinking hard. Fires twisted through him.
He picked his way carefully
toward the sex question. Why is it a question? He understood
that people need
acts of attention from one another, does it really matter which acts?
He was fourteen.
Sex is a way of getting to know someone,
Herakles had said. He was sixteen. Hot unsorted parts of the question
were licking up from every crack in Geryon,
he beat at them as a nervous laugh escaped him. Herakles looked.
Suddenly quiet.
It's okay, said Herakles. His voice washed
Geryon open.
Tell me, said Geryon and he intended to ask him, Do people who like sex
have a question about it too?
but the words came out wrong--Is it true you think about sex every day?
Herakles' body stiffened.
That isn't a question it's an accusation. Something black and heavy dropped
between like a smell of velvet.
Herakles switched on the ignition and they jumped forward onto the back of the night.
Not touching
but joined in astonishment as two cuts lie parallel in the same flesh.

If you're now as interested and as hooked as I think you are, the link at the start of this post will open up the amazon.com page so you can quell your burning desire to know, among other things, if Geryon ever gets his sex question answered...

Comments

[applegnat.livejournal.com]

GAHHHH. This is quite possibly the best anything ever. *nodnod*

[mm511.livejournal.com]

I know, right? :-)

[eloquentice.livejournal.com]

I am absolutely in love with that book. It's astounding.
So you rock for putting up a few chapters here.

[mm511.livejournal.com]

Heh. I rock for several more reasons, too. :-P

[http://users.livejournal.com/__jennacide/]

i absolutely adore anne carson, and this is by far my favorite work of hers.


good on you. :D

[mm511.livejournal.com]

I've not read much else by her. I just finished THE BEAUTY OF THE HUSBAND. It had its moments, but generally I wasn't nearly as in awe as I was when I read AUTOBIO the first time. I've also read half of EROS THE BITTERSWEET, and I think it's absolutely amazing what she can say and do with Greek poetry, but again... that's prose, and it's beautiful, but it's not AUTOBIO. Heh.

[jamie-za.livejournal.com]

great post :)

Herakles stepped off the bus from New Mexico and Geryon came fast around the corner of the platform and there it was one of those moments that is the opposite of blindness.
The world poured back and forth between their eyes..'

^^ wow.

[okapi-4evr.livejournal.com]

I don't know this, but it sound great I'll give it a try.

[okapi-4evr.livejournal.com]

Can I 'FRIEND' you and come back and talk about it in the future?

[effbeye.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of this before but it sounds great - I'm going to give it a whirl once I finish the book I'm reading now.