A revolution of bodies, in Rachel Farrell’s “Jean-Louise Is Not Really Interested,” from our September issue.

1. Are there things you refuse to know, that you will never investigate? Tell us some.

I hate anything to do with wires. In my closet I have a giant box of wires I’m afraid to throw away but can’t bring myself to organize. I’ve been collecting the wires for some time, and most of them likely belong to electronic devices I don’t own anymore. Old VCRs and game systems. Old phones, lamps, and cameras. I should sift through this box and throw away those wires I can’t find a use for, but the job seems so depressing. In my version of hell, the Devil ushers me into a cave and says, “I’d like you to sort out my collection of mismatched AC adaptors.”

2. This is a story that spans generations. What distinguishes them? What defines this cycle?

I wouldn’t say anything distinguishes the generations. Every generation has its own taboos, I guess. But the response of humans to joy and trauma is relatively consistent. The cycle is only defined by the fact that its perpetuation is both absurd and necessary. Continue reading →