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February 10, 2008

Barthelmelicious

People like me whose minds have been permanently altered by Donald Barthelme will deeply enjoy a new James Wolcott essay about King Weirdo.

Here's the end of Barthelme's story "The Policemen's Ball":

The horrors waited outside patiently. Even policemen, the horrors thought. We get even policemen, in the end.

In Horace's apartment, a gold frill was placed on a pearl toe.

The horrors had moved outside Horace's apartment. Not even policemen and their ladies are safe, the horrors thought. No one is safe. Safety does not exist. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

—Jonathan Schwarz

Posted at February 10, 2008 06:54 PM
Comments

I just finished the Granta book of American short stories (ed Richard Ford). The Barthelme entry 'Me and Miss Mandible' wasn't to my mind the best in the collection, but (in a strong field) it was by some distance the weirdest.

Posted by: Glenn Condell at February 10, 2008 10:59 PM

I had the good fortune to eat his Texas chili once, in Buffalo, NY.

Posted by: Simbaud at February 11, 2008 12:22 AM

...even though, by Barthelme's standards, "Mandible" is a pretty ordinary story.

Donald Barthelme is one of favorite irrelevancies in the entire college experience.

Posted by: Sully at February 11, 2008 12:35 PM