I don’t think I can put a by-line on this piece because it is an homage, in the spirit of this season, to my former teacher, Lydia Davis, whose words are best. Her story, which I present in its entirety, was published in Samuel Johnson Is Indignant, but I recommend all of her books. I hope I haven’t infringed on any copyright issues, in my mind I am reading her work to you, as I would if I were teaching a class.
Money
by Lydia Davis
I don’t want any more gifts, cards, phone calls, prizes, clothes, friends, letters, books, souvenirs, pets, magazines, land, machines, houses, entertainments, honors, good news, dinners, jewels, vacations, flowers, or telegrams. I just want money.
P.S. Lydia subsequently won, and certainly deserved, a MacArthur “genius” award- bushels of dough.
In a state of desperation I visited Shirley Maclaine’s astrology site and read my horoscope for this week. It said now is the time for affirmations. At about 3a.m. I remembered Lydia’s story which seems most potent.
