Linguist, lexicographer, radio host, public speaker

Paranoia

Flashes like cars in parking lots. Hot paranoia. In the library, outside its windows too close to the street, people could be purposely letting off car alarms, irrationally backing up trucks, pointlessly hammering wood. Investigate to find the noise is purposeless. Not being stolen, idling in reverse, scavenging nails from plywood. Nails are cheap. Same kind of people who reserve space in the library. Leave bags, books, notes, computers on table, fanfold. Never worked there, occupy space just in case. Leave all day. One day library will be full but empty. New friend to the City needs an apartment. He’s having a tough time. He’s says, “Where’s Tarrytown? There might be one there.” Poor bastard. Fees are huge, apartments are scarce, a lot of weirdos are running ads for shares that amount to the new guy paying all the rent to some jumped up nutball who sits around fingering a potato chip bag. Seems like, anyway. Be careful.

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Grant Barrett