WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.290 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE] 00:00:03.290 --> 00:00:04.700 align:middle line:90% 00:00:04.700 --> 00:00:05.670 align:middle line:90% Thank you, Ander. 00:00:05.670 --> 00:00:10.130 align:middle line:90% That was strangely accurate. 00:00:10.130 --> 00:00:12.900 align:middle line:84% Thank you everyone for coming out tonight, 00:00:12.900 --> 00:00:16.340 align:middle line:84% and thank you to the Poetry Center and the Creative Writing 00:00:16.340 --> 00:00:17.820 align:middle line:90% Department for having me. 00:00:17.820 --> 00:00:19.530 align:middle line:90% It's nice to be back. 00:00:19.530 --> 00:00:23.730 align:middle line:84% I started that book here, the colorful one, 00:00:23.730 --> 00:00:28.910 align:middle line:84% and finished it when I left here and always 00:00:28.910 --> 00:00:31.850 align:middle line:90% think about moving back here. 00:00:31.850 --> 00:00:36.090 align:middle line:84% Tonight, I decided I was going to read this novel in progress. 00:00:36.090 --> 00:00:37.520 align:middle line:90% So this is my second-- 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:41.210 align:middle line:90% hopefully, second novel. 00:00:41.210 --> 00:00:43.520 align:middle line:84% Two people have read it, so it feels 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:45.620 align:middle line:84% very comfortable to stand in front of all of you 00:00:45.620 --> 00:00:48.073 align:middle line:90% and read the opening chapter. 00:00:48.073 --> 00:00:51.530 align:middle line:90% 00:00:51.530 --> 00:00:55.680 align:middle line:84% The morning after another bout of rat-interrupted sex, 00:00:55.680 --> 00:00:58.430 align:middle line:84% Arlen woke to the trills of the resident junco 00:00:58.430 --> 00:01:00.040 align:middle line:90% on the cabin deck. 00:01:00.040 --> 00:01:02.670 align:middle line:84% It was impossible for him to fall back asleep 00:01:02.670 --> 00:01:06.600 align:middle line:84% once the junco began its loose, jingling song. 00:01:06.600 --> 00:01:10.320 align:middle line:84% Next to him in bed, Hollis snored blissfully. 00:01:10.320 --> 00:01:13.590 align:middle line:84% He reached for his phone and opened Google Earth. 00:01:13.590 --> 00:01:16.080 align:middle line:84% He was zooming on the island of La Palma 00:01:16.080 --> 00:01:19.560 align:middle line:84% and the Canary Islands, the darkest place on Earth, 00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:22.170 align:middle line:90% when the notification arrived. 00:01:22.170 --> 00:01:26.100 align:middle line:84% His box of Irish Spring was at the post office. 00:01:26.100 --> 00:01:27.840 align:middle line:84% An old man at the Yacht Club that 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:32.400 align:middle line:84% harbored no yachts, only busted kayaks, promised Arlen the soap 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:34.270 align:middle line:90% would detract wood rats. 00:01:34.270 --> 00:01:36.930 align:middle line:90% Arlen didn't hesitate. 00:01:36.930 --> 00:01:39.030 align:middle line:84% The previous night, the scratching 00:01:39.030 --> 00:01:42.280 align:middle line:84% started in the bedroom wall just as they were about to finish. 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:44.760 align:middle line:84% Ignore it, Hollis demanded, digging her nails 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:46.140 align:middle line:90% into his chest. 00:01:46.140 --> 00:01:48.510 align:middle line:84% An image of the rat gnawing through the Redwood 00:01:48.510 --> 00:01:52.860 align:middle line:84% and climbing up his leg into their bed occupied his mind. 00:01:52.860 --> 00:01:56.340 align:middle line:84% He evicted the image until they were through. 00:01:56.340 --> 00:01:59.470 align:middle line:84% Was it a mating song, the juncos? 00:01:59.470 --> 00:02:02.570 align:middle line:84% Arlen tried to look it up, but on every site he visited, 00:02:02.570 --> 00:02:05.770 align:middle line:84% pop-up ads for rodent traps and rodent proofing and rodent 00:02:05.770 --> 00:02:08.979 align:middle line:90% exclusion took over his screen. 00:02:08.979 --> 00:02:11.830 align:middle line:84% Hollis was in the shower by the time he finally set his phone 00:02:11.830 --> 00:02:13.960 align:middle line:90% aside to use the bathroom. 00:02:13.960 --> 00:02:17.080 align:middle line:84% She opened the shower door and reached out through the steam. 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:21.100 align:middle line:84% In her soapy hand, she held a shiny yellow slug. 00:02:21.100 --> 00:02:24.520 align:middle line:84% How do they get so big, she asked. 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:27.340 align:middle line:84% The network, he replied, referring 00:02:27.340 --> 00:02:29.920 align:middle line:84% to their working theory that behind the bathroom 00:02:29.920 --> 00:02:32.470 align:middle line:84% walls, the only drywall in the cabin, 00:02:32.470 --> 00:02:34.660 align:middle line:84% dwelled a massive network of mushrooms 00:02:34.660 --> 00:02:36.760 align:middle line:90% that the slugs feasted on. 00:02:36.760 --> 00:02:39.700 align:middle line:84% He'd come up with a theory after hammering a nail into the wall 00:02:39.700 --> 00:02:41.830 align:middle line:90% for Hollis' necklaces. 00:02:41.830 --> 00:02:43.940 align:middle line:84% Determining the nail was a little off center, 00:02:43.940 --> 00:02:48.040 align:middle line:84% he removed it and out popped a tiny fruiting body. 00:02:48.040 --> 00:02:50.300 align:middle line:84% I'm off to the post office, he said. 00:02:50.300 --> 00:02:52.270 align:middle line:90% Meet me down there. 00:02:52.270 --> 00:02:54.400 align:middle line:90% At our bench, she asked. 00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:56.950 align:middle line:84% There were several benches scattered around town 00:02:56.950 --> 00:02:58.810 align:middle line:84% and up the fire roads on the ridge 00:02:58.810 --> 00:03:01.700 align:middle line:84% that they simply referred to as our bench. 00:03:01.700 --> 00:03:03.970 align:middle line:84% In this case, our bench was the one 00:03:03.970 --> 00:03:07.450 align:middle line:84% at the edge of the bay in front of the post office. 00:03:07.450 --> 00:03:10.480 align:middle line:84% See you there, he said and grabbed his dress shoes 00:03:10.480 --> 00:03:12.520 align:middle line:90% from the closet. 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:14.980 align:middle line:84% He'd bought the shoes for a friend's wedding almost 10 00:03:14.980 --> 00:03:17.330 align:middle line:84% years ago and had rarely worn them, 00:03:17.330 --> 00:03:19.880 align:middle line:84% but he was struggling with his latest manuscript. 00:03:19.880 --> 00:03:21.980 align:middle line:84% And after reading about how an artist he admired 00:03:21.980 --> 00:03:23.890 align:middle line:84% wore a suit to his studio every day as a way 00:03:23.890 --> 00:03:26.630 align:middle line:84% to take himself and his work more seriously, 00:03:26.630 --> 00:03:29.650 align:middle line:84% Arlen dug out the leather shoes and meticulously worked 00:03:29.650 --> 00:03:32.980 align:middle line:84% the mildew out of the seams with an old toothbrush. 00:03:32.980 --> 00:03:34.580 align:middle line:90% They look pretty good. 00:03:34.580 --> 00:03:37.420 align:middle line:84% Not perfect, but suitable enough for a walk 00:03:37.420 --> 00:03:39.070 align:middle line:84% down to the post office to retrieve 00:03:39.070 --> 00:03:44.590 align:middle line:84% a box of three dozen bars of strongly scented soap. 00:03:44.590 --> 00:03:47.680 align:middle line:84% As he left the cabin, Arlen spotted his octogenarian 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:50.200 align:middle line:84% landlord coming through the front gate. 00:03:50.200 --> 00:03:52.750 align:middle line:84% The landlord had made a habit of these surprise drop ins 00:03:52.750 --> 00:03:54.640 align:middle line:90% over the past year. 00:03:54.640 --> 00:03:57.530 align:middle line:84% Morning, son, he said, like a grandfather 00:03:57.530 --> 00:04:00.080 align:middle line:90% who charges market-rate rent. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:02.190 align:middle line:90% He held out a hand for Arlen. 00:04:02.190 --> 00:04:04.190 align:middle line:84% Arlen took the landlord's hand gently 00:04:04.190 --> 00:04:07.670 align:middle line:84% and held it the way he would a soft animal. 00:04:07.670 --> 00:04:09.620 align:middle line:84% From his jacket pocket, the landlord 00:04:09.620 --> 00:04:12.770 align:middle line:84% offered Arlen what looked like a Glade plug-in. 00:04:12.770 --> 00:04:15.530 align:middle line:90% For the rats, he said. 00:04:15.530 --> 00:04:17.910 align:middle line:84% A neighbor, who had known the landlord for decades 00:04:17.910 --> 00:04:19.640 align:middle line:84% described him to Arlen and Hollis 00:04:19.640 --> 00:04:24.080 align:middle line:84% as deviously cheap for a man who has more money than God. 00:04:24.080 --> 00:04:26.820 align:middle line:84% At the open house, before they rented the cabin, 00:04:26.820 --> 00:04:29.340 align:middle line:84% they noticed the ants along the baseboards, 00:04:29.340 --> 00:04:31.770 align:middle line:84% the rotted wood in certain dark corners, 00:04:31.770 --> 00:04:35.210 align:middle line:84% the glistening slug trails across the shower tiles, 00:04:35.210 --> 00:04:37.730 align:middle line:84% even the scat in the crawl space. 00:04:37.730 --> 00:04:40.700 align:middle line:84% But they'd also been quite taken with the high ceilings made 00:04:40.700 --> 00:04:43.700 align:middle line:84% of old growth Redwood, the usnea swinging 00:04:43.700 --> 00:04:46.500 align:middle line:84% from the majestic live oak on the property, 00:04:46.500 --> 00:04:50.240 align:middle line:84% and the peekaboo view of the bay from the kitchen window. 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:52.490 align:middle line:84% Plus, it was the only rental available. 00:04:52.490 --> 00:04:54.970 align:middle line:84% And for them, owning was out of the question. 00:04:54.970 --> 00:04:58.530 align:middle line:84% Thanks to the area's real estate boom, even this porous, rotting 00:04:58.530 --> 00:05:02.190 align:middle line:84% cabin had its estimate at $1.7 million. 00:05:02.190 --> 00:05:04.380 align:middle line:90% Arlen took the plug-in. 00:05:04.380 --> 00:05:08.580 align:middle line:84% It emits a sound only rats can hear, the landlord said. 00:05:08.580 --> 00:05:12.090 align:middle line:84% I have them in my house, and we have no problems. 00:05:12.090 --> 00:05:14.710 align:middle line:84% He neglected to mention that his house is brand new. 00:05:14.710 --> 00:05:18.720 align:middle line:84% The concrete foundation impenetrable to rodents. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:20.940 align:middle line:84% Arlen slipped the plug-in into his coat pocket 00:05:20.940 --> 00:05:23.910 align:middle line:90% and thanked the landlord. 00:05:23.910 --> 00:05:26.460 align:middle line:84% He decided to take the road rather than the trail 00:05:26.460 --> 00:05:30.240 align:middle line:84% down to the post office so as not to dirty his dress shoes. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:34.260 align:middle line:84% As he started down the hill, a water department truck slowed. 00:05:34.260 --> 00:05:35.880 align:middle line:90% It was Burton. 00:05:35.880 --> 00:05:37.690 align:middle line:90% He leaned out the window. 00:05:37.690 --> 00:05:39.630 align:middle line:90% How are your rats? 00:05:39.630 --> 00:05:42.510 align:middle line:84% Everyone called the cabin the Shallow cabin 00:05:42.510 --> 00:05:46.740 align:middle line:84% after the landlord, but somehow the rats belonged to Arlen. 00:05:46.740 --> 00:05:49.150 align:middle line:84% He took the plug-in out of his pocket. 00:05:49.150 --> 00:05:51.510 align:middle line:90% Old man Shallow gave me this. 00:05:51.510 --> 00:05:52.600 align:middle line:90% Burton laughed. 00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:55.210 align:middle line:90% You should get a cat. 00:05:55.210 --> 00:05:56.860 align:middle line:84% I'm heading down to the post office 00:05:56.860 --> 00:05:59.360 align:middle line:84% now to pick up a box of Irish Spring. 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:03.100 align:middle line:84% You know what I did when I lived in that cabin, Burton said. 00:06:03.100 --> 00:06:06.950 align:middle line:84% Arlen regarded Burton as a kind of third presence in the cabin. 00:06:06.950 --> 00:06:09.500 align:middle line:84% He'd planted the roses that lined the fence, 00:06:09.500 --> 00:06:13.000 align:middle line:84% and his fish sticker was still plastered to the fridge. 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:15.470 align:middle line:84% I asked my mom for my inheritance early. 00:06:15.470 --> 00:06:17.630 align:middle line:84% That's how I bought my property up on the ridge. 00:06:17.630 --> 00:06:20.290 align:middle line:84% Have you thought about asking for yours? 00:06:20.290 --> 00:06:23.660 align:middle line:84% My inheritance will come in the form of cruise ship points, 00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:25.390 align:middle line:90% Arlen told him. 00:06:25.390 --> 00:06:27.130 align:middle line:90% Burton looked confused. 00:06:27.130 --> 00:06:29.890 align:middle line:90% What's the cash value of those? 00:06:29.890 --> 00:06:31.840 align:middle line:90% Arlen continued walking. 00:06:31.840 --> 00:06:34.400 align:middle line:84% Gotta get down to the post office to meet Hollis, 00:06:34.400 --> 00:06:37.670 align:middle line:84% he said, knowing she would take the trail from their house, 00:06:37.670 --> 00:06:39.460 align:middle line:90% the quicker path. 00:06:39.460 --> 00:06:41.390 align:middle line:84% Think about it, Burton called back. 00:06:41.390 --> 00:06:42.440 align:middle line:90% Never hurts to ask. 00:06:42.440 --> 00:06:43.960 align:middle line:84% It's best in the long run to own. 00:06:43.960 --> 00:06:46.390 align:middle line:90% Gives you more control. 00:06:46.390 --> 00:06:50.560 align:middle line:84% Exhaust puffed into the air as he shifted into gear. 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:52.710 align:middle line:84% Further down the road at the Ross cabin, 00:06:52.710 --> 00:06:55.820 align:middle line:84% a truck was parked outside pumping the septic tank. 00:06:55.820 --> 00:06:58.310 align:middle line:84% The retired art teacher stood across the street 00:06:58.310 --> 00:07:01.250 align:middle line:90% in her nightgown, arms crossed. 00:07:01.250 --> 00:07:03.960 align:middle line:84% Do they have to come this early, she asked. 00:07:03.960 --> 00:07:06.690 align:middle line:84% Arlen ignored her and continued walking. 00:07:06.690 --> 00:07:08.040 align:middle line:90% It smells, doesn't it? 00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:09.780 align:middle line:84% It's all the red meat these people eat. 00:07:09.780 --> 00:07:11.240 align:middle line:90% Me, I'm totally vegan. 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:12.960 align:middle line:84% When they come to pump my septic, 00:07:12.960 --> 00:07:14.670 align:middle line:90% it doesn't smell in the least. 00:07:14.670 --> 00:07:16.350 align:middle line:84% It's because it's all vegetables. 00:07:16.350 --> 00:07:17.030 align:middle line:90% Legumes. 00:07:17.030 --> 00:07:20.100 align:middle line:84% Not this, she said, pointing at the truck, disgusted. 00:07:20.100 --> 00:07:20.863 align:middle line:90% This flesh. 00:07:20.863 --> 00:07:25.730 align:middle line:90% 00:07:25.730 --> 00:07:28.080 align:middle line:90% Arlen only wanted his package. 00:07:28.080 --> 00:07:30.690 align:middle line:84% The less sleep he got on account of the rats, 00:07:30.690 --> 00:07:33.810 align:middle line:84% the harder it was to feel like he had a grip on his work. 00:07:33.810 --> 00:07:35.750 align:middle line:84% His book was about the local effort 00:07:35.750 --> 00:07:37.590 align:middle line:90% to preserve the night sky. 00:07:37.590 --> 00:07:40.110 align:middle line:84% That's why he was here, to research the movement, 00:07:40.110 --> 00:07:42.980 align:middle line:90% not lose sleep to rats. 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:46.670 align:middle line:84% He wanted to use the initiative as an example of how communities 00:07:46.670 --> 00:07:49.430 align:middle line:84% can band together to preserve what's precious, 00:07:49.430 --> 00:07:51.330 align:middle line:84% but he'd recently begun to question 00:07:51.330 --> 00:07:53.610 align:middle line:84% whether the heroes of his book batted around 00:07:53.610 --> 00:07:56.310 align:middle line:84% big ideas about the cosmos simply 00:07:56.310 --> 00:07:59.250 align:middle line:84% to prevent the construction of new condos. 00:07:59.250 --> 00:08:02.940 align:middle line:84% More buildings means more people means more light, and more light 00:08:02.940 --> 00:08:05.130 align:middle line:90% equals less sky. 00:08:05.130 --> 00:08:07.270 align:middle line:84% People weren't that simple, of course, 00:08:07.270 --> 00:08:10.920 align:middle line:84% but in a sleep deprived state, these people seem that simple. 00:08:10.920 --> 00:08:14.190 align:middle line:84% He hurried past a septic truck, offering the nightgown woman 00:08:14.190 --> 00:08:16.830 align:middle line:84% a neighborly shrug, and hoped the Irish Spring 00:08:16.830 --> 00:08:20.130 align:middle line:84% could revive his manuscript, or at least buy him a few nights 00:08:20.130 --> 00:08:23.370 align:middle line:90% of uninterrupted sleep. 00:08:23.370 --> 00:08:27.150 align:middle line:84% This your car, Mr. Fiala asked, pointing at a forest 00:08:27.150 --> 00:08:29.620 align:middle line:84% green Rivian with a bumper sticker that read, 00:08:29.620 --> 00:08:32.253 align:middle line:90% Yeah, I'm DTF, Down to Forage. 00:08:32.253 --> 00:08:35.400 align:middle line:90% 00:08:35.400 --> 00:08:39.070 align:middle line:84% Only a few weeks ago, Arlen had interviewed Mr. Fiala, 00:08:39.070 --> 00:08:42.179 align:middle line:84% an amateur astronomer who owned a high-powered telescope 00:08:42.179 --> 00:08:46.050 align:middle line:84% and was heavily involved in the night sky preservation efforts. 00:08:46.050 --> 00:08:48.790 align:middle line:84% You've seen my car, Mr. Fiala, he said. 00:08:48.790 --> 00:08:51.300 align:middle line:90% It's a rusted old station wagon. 00:08:51.300 --> 00:08:53.970 align:middle line:84% So you're not staying at her Airbnb, he asked. 00:08:53.970 --> 00:08:57.480 align:middle line:84% Mr. Fiala hated Mrs. Williams' Airbnb. 00:08:57.480 --> 00:08:59.490 align:middle line:84% Arlen gathered during the interview, 00:08:59.490 --> 00:09:02.250 align:middle line:84% that Mr. Fiala had maintained a decades-long crush 00:09:02.250 --> 00:09:04.260 align:middle line:84% on Mrs. Williams, who had recently 00:09:04.260 --> 00:09:06.240 align:middle line:84% fallen in love with a man from the city 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:09.030 align:middle line:84% and stopped spending time out here in the country. 00:09:09.030 --> 00:09:11.460 align:middle line:84% If her guests complained about the grouchy neighbor 00:09:11.460 --> 00:09:15.690 align:middle line:84% in their reviews, he likely reasoned, she'd think about him. 00:09:15.690 --> 00:09:18.370 align:middle line:84% We've met before, Arlen reminded him. 00:09:18.370 --> 00:09:20.360 align:middle line:90% I'm the writer. 00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:22.680 align:middle line:84% Mr. Fiala could identify all the craters 00:09:22.680 --> 00:09:24.730 align:middle line:84% on the moon visible through his telescope, 00:09:24.730 --> 00:09:28.200 align:middle line:84% but he stared at Arlen like he was extragalactic. 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:31.650 align:middle line:84% And can I borrow a pen, he finally asked. 00:09:31.650 --> 00:09:33.810 align:middle line:84% With Arlen's pen, Mr. Fiala scribbled 00:09:33.810 --> 00:09:35.940 align:middle line:84% a note on a piece of draft paper he pulled out 00:09:35.940 --> 00:09:37.650 align:middle line:90% of his back pocket. 00:09:37.650 --> 00:09:41.130 align:middle line:84% Do not block driveway, he wrote in blocky script 00:09:41.130 --> 00:09:44.490 align:middle line:84% and lodged the note under the trucks wipers. 00:09:44.490 --> 00:09:47.720 align:middle line:84% Arlen knew for a fact that Mr. Fiala didn't drive. 00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:50.140 align:middle line:84% His garage housed an old VW Beetle 00:09:50.140 --> 00:09:53.270 align:middle line:84% where squirrels had long ago taken up residence, 00:09:53.270 --> 00:09:55.630 align:middle line:84% storing thousands of acorns in the crevices 00:09:55.630 --> 00:09:57.550 align:middle line:90% of the busted engine. 00:09:57.550 --> 00:09:59.560 align:middle line:90% He returned the pen. 00:09:59.560 --> 00:10:02.520 align:middle line:84% Have you been hearing this bell too, he asked Arlen. 00:10:02.520 --> 00:10:05.290 align:middle line:90% 00:10:05.290 --> 00:10:07.640 align:middle line:84% This is the latest town controversy. 00:10:07.640 --> 00:10:10.180 align:middle line:84% The new pastor had replaced the church bell with one 00:10:10.180 --> 00:10:13.540 align:middle line:84% much larger and louder after an inspirational trip to Rome 00:10:13.540 --> 00:10:15.130 align:middle line:90% last summer. 00:10:15.130 --> 00:10:18.620 align:middle line:84% The local newspaper had run several op eds on the matter. 00:10:18.620 --> 00:10:22.360 align:middle line:84% Arlen knew better than to involve himself. 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:24.760 align:middle line:84% The pastor walked through the gate of the Airbnb 00:10:24.760 --> 00:10:27.320 align:middle line:84% with another man, who appeared to be his brother, 00:10:27.320 --> 00:10:29.218 align:middle line:84% or someone he had fallen in love with, 00:10:29.218 --> 00:10:30.760 align:middle line:84% the way people sometimes fall in love 00:10:30.760 --> 00:10:33.280 align:middle line:90% with people who look like them. 00:10:33.280 --> 00:10:35.740 align:middle line:90% Oh, Jesus, Mr. Fiala said. 00:10:35.740 --> 00:10:38.450 align:middle line:84% Good morning, Fred, the pastor said. 00:10:38.450 --> 00:10:40.790 align:middle line:84% It's not good for the wildlife, that bell, 00:10:40.790 --> 00:10:42.890 align:middle line:90% Mr. Fiala said to the pastor. 00:10:42.890 --> 00:10:46.400 align:middle line:84% Imagine someone invading your home like that. 00:10:46.400 --> 00:10:48.830 align:middle line:84% Arlen fled, but the debate between the two men 00:10:48.830 --> 00:10:50.750 align:middle line:84% continued behind him, their voices 00:10:50.750 --> 00:10:52.530 align:middle line:90% carrying through the valley. 00:10:52.530 --> 00:10:55.110 align:middle line:84% I understand beauty is subjective, 00:10:55.110 --> 00:10:57.710 align:middle line:84% he could hear the pastor say to Mr. Fiala 00:10:57.710 --> 00:11:00.080 align:middle line:84% before the septic truck mercifully barreled down 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:04.100 align:middle line:84% the road, drowning out their voices. 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:07.220 align:middle line:84% Arlen stepped to the shoulder to let the truck pass. 00:11:07.220 --> 00:11:10.010 align:middle line:84% Above him, squirrels chased one another playfully 00:11:10.010 --> 00:11:11.690 align:middle line:84% on the massive oak tree that framed 00:11:11.690 --> 00:11:13.910 align:middle line:90% the bay on the stretch of road. 00:11:13.910 --> 00:11:16.760 align:middle line:90% Arlen paused to admire the view. 00:11:16.760 --> 00:11:19.430 align:middle line:84% He hated how he still fell prey to the town's 00:11:19.430 --> 00:11:22.100 align:middle line:84% unquantifiable beauty, a beauty that 00:11:22.100 --> 00:11:24.480 align:middle line:84% made the impossible cost of living here 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:27.920 align:middle line:84% and even the nosy neighbors seem worth it. 00:11:27.920 --> 00:11:30.200 align:middle line:84% Back on the road, he stepped in fox scat 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:31.860 align:middle line:90% thick with huckleberries. 00:11:31.860 --> 00:11:35.480 align:middle line:84% Cursing his luck-- this is precisely why he hadn't taken 00:11:35.480 --> 00:11:36.150 align:middle line:90% the trail-- 00:11:36.150 --> 00:11:38.540 align:middle line:84% he dislodged the scat with a fallen branch 00:11:38.540 --> 00:11:43.130 align:middle line:84% and walked the short remaining distance to the post office. 00:11:43.130 --> 00:11:45.870 align:middle line:84% He held the door open for the landlord's wife, who 00:11:45.870 --> 00:11:49.410 align:middle line:84% had in her hand three envelopes, his rent check, plus-- he 00:11:49.410 --> 00:11:51.660 align:middle line:84% guessed-- rent checks for the other two properties 00:11:51.660 --> 00:11:54.270 align:middle line:90% she and the landlord owned. 00:11:54.270 --> 00:11:56.830 align:middle line:84% Did you see my husband this morning, she asked Arlen. 00:11:56.830 --> 00:11:58.560 align:middle line:90% He had a gift for you. 00:11:58.560 --> 00:12:01.410 align:middle line:84% Yes, Arlen said, the little machine. 00:12:01.410 --> 00:12:03.670 align:middle line:90% They work like a charm for us. 00:12:03.670 --> 00:12:06.000 align:middle line:84% She pointed her key at his chest, 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:08.380 align:middle line:84% and the Mercedes behind him chirped. 00:12:08.380 --> 00:12:10.540 align:middle line:90% She touched his shoulder gently. 00:12:10.540 --> 00:12:12.630 align:middle line:90% Be well. 00:12:12.630 --> 00:12:15.280 align:middle line:84% He wasn't sure if she'd ever touched him before 00:12:15.280 --> 00:12:18.300 align:middle line:84% or who the last person besides Hollis was who had touched him. 00:12:18.300 --> 00:12:21.570 align:middle line:84% Did the landlord's handshake count? 00:12:21.570 --> 00:12:25.530 align:middle line:84% Inside, he opened his PO box to retrieve his yellow package 00:12:25.530 --> 00:12:27.810 align:middle line:90% slip, but it wasn't there. 00:12:27.810 --> 00:12:31.420 align:middle line:84% At the desk, he asked the postal worker about his package. 00:12:31.420 --> 00:12:33.820 align:middle line:84% Her name was Lorraine, and aside from Hollis, 00:12:33.820 --> 00:12:36.870 align:middle line:84% she was his favorite person in town. 00:12:36.870 --> 00:12:38.610 align:middle line:84% Hollis was just in here, she said. 00:12:38.610 --> 00:12:40.410 align:middle line:90% She picked it up. 00:12:40.410 --> 00:12:42.520 align:middle line:84% Then she leaned forward and whispered, 00:12:42.520 --> 00:12:45.820 align:middle line:90% so you guys are trying? 00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:48.260 align:middle line:84% All gossip flowed through the post office, 00:12:48.260 --> 00:12:50.710 align:middle line:84% and he didn't love that Hollis had divulged her secret 00:12:50.710 --> 00:12:53.290 align:middle line:84% to Lorraine, and perhaps he now realized, 00:12:53.290 --> 00:12:56.260 align:middle line:84% to their landlord's wife as well, who would certainly 00:12:56.260 --> 00:12:59.590 align:middle line:84% tell her husband, who would, in turn, very likely raise 00:12:59.590 --> 00:13:03.880 align:middle line:84% their rent if ever a third occupant manifested themselves. 00:13:03.880 --> 00:13:05.830 align:middle line:84% Still, Lorraine's well-meaning question 00:13:05.830 --> 00:13:07.760 align:middle line:90% made it all seem more real. 00:13:07.760 --> 00:13:10.780 align:middle line:90% We are, Arlen confirmed. 00:13:10.780 --> 00:13:12.770 align:middle line:84% I'll be praying for you, she said. 00:13:12.770 --> 00:13:15.220 align:middle line:84% And even though Arlen never prayed and wasn't sure 00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:18.350 align:middle line:84% how he felt about other people praying on his behalf, 00:13:18.350 --> 00:13:21.770 align:middle line:84% the small gesture filled him with not hope exactly 00:13:21.770 --> 00:13:24.520 align:middle line:84% but some kind of connectedness, the way 00:13:24.520 --> 00:13:26.890 align:middle line:84% he felt when the bay was framed a particular way 00:13:26.890 --> 00:13:30.040 align:middle line:84% in the ancient oak tree, or when he gazed up at the stars 00:13:30.040 --> 00:13:32.470 align:middle line:90% on a cold, clear night. 00:13:32.470 --> 00:13:35.020 align:middle line:84% Hollis was waiting for him at their bench. 00:13:35.020 --> 00:13:37.630 align:middle line:90% You beat me, he said. 00:13:37.630 --> 00:13:39.310 align:middle line:90% I took the trail. 00:13:39.310 --> 00:13:41.840 align:middle line:84% Arlen looked down at his dress shoes. 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:43.250 align:middle line:90% Smart. 00:13:43.250 --> 00:13:46.680 align:middle line:84% These came, she said, holding up a pregnancy test. 00:13:46.680 --> 00:13:50.720 align:middle line:84% Oh, Arlen said, realizing that this was the package Lorraine 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:51.720 align:middle line:90% had mentioned. 00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:55.190 align:middle line:90% And, not this month. 00:13:55.190 --> 00:13:59.190 align:middle line:84% Arlen let the frustration bubble up inside him, then pass. 00:13:59.190 --> 00:14:02.060 align:middle line:90% Oysters, he asked. 00:14:02.060 --> 00:14:04.850 align:middle line:84% A cold plunge in the bay followed by a couple dozen 00:14:04.850 --> 00:14:07.880 align:middle line:84% oysters with cheap champagne had become a ritual of sorts 00:14:07.880 --> 00:14:10.160 align:middle line:90% in these long months of trying. 00:14:10.160 --> 00:14:12.560 align:middle line:84% You shuck the oysters yourself, cutting them out 00:14:12.560 --> 00:14:14.550 align:middle line:90% of their calcareous homes. 00:14:14.550 --> 00:14:17.330 align:middle line:84% They are surprisingly affordable. 00:14:17.330 --> 00:14:18.800 align:middle line:90% Hollis nodded. 00:14:18.800 --> 00:14:20.437 align:middle line:84% Lorraine thinks the soap is caught 00:14:20.437 --> 00:14:22.520 align:middle line:84% in one of those loops, where the system isn't sure 00:14:22.520 --> 00:14:23.880 align:middle line:90% where the package lives. 00:14:23.880 --> 00:14:27.500 align:middle line:84% She said she'd look for it on the truck this afternoon. 00:14:27.500 --> 00:14:30.450 align:middle line:84% After the cold plunge, after the two dozen oysters, 00:14:30.450 --> 00:14:32.150 align:middle line:84% after the hike all the way up the ridge 00:14:32.150 --> 00:14:34.200 align:middle line:84% to their secret Huckleberry spot, 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:37.820 align:middle line:84% they descended the fire road back to the cabin, 00:14:37.820 --> 00:14:40.735 align:middle line:84% talking all the while about the cost of fertility treatment, 00:14:40.735 --> 00:14:43.340 align:middle line:84% and whether that process was even feasible 00:14:43.340 --> 00:14:44.550 align:middle line:90% with the unsold book. 00:14:44.550 --> 00:14:47.190 align:middle line:84% And Hollis' plans to attend nursing school. 00:14:47.190 --> 00:14:51.097 align:middle line:84% And by extension, how feasible it even was to have a child. 00:14:51.097 --> 00:14:53.180 align:middle line:84% But then they stopped talking because they already 00:14:53.180 --> 00:14:57.030 align:middle line:84% knew the answers to all these questions, or more precisely, 00:14:57.030 --> 00:14:58.740 align:middle line:90% the questions were irrelevant. 00:14:58.740 --> 00:15:00.890 align:middle line:84% Talking about them at this point was just 00:15:00.890 --> 00:15:03.440 align:middle line:84% a way to feel in control, and what they wanted 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:07.610 align:middle line:84% had nothing to do with what they could control. 00:15:07.610 --> 00:15:10.940 align:middle line:84% That night, Arlen dreamed of a completely dark sky 00:15:10.940 --> 00:15:12.570 align:middle line:90% with no stars. 00:15:12.570 --> 00:15:15.000 align:middle line:84% He was on La Palma in the Canary Islands, 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:18.920 align:middle line:84% perhaps, looking through the observatory's massive satellite, 00:15:18.920 --> 00:15:22.080 align:middle line:84% when one by one, the stars began to appear. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:24.440 align:middle line:84% Holes of light that the rat scurried out 00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:27.680 align:middle line:84% of having gnawed through the black sheet of night. 00:15:27.680 --> 00:15:31.140 align:middle line:84% Where had they come from, the rats, he wondered in his dream. 00:15:31.140 --> 00:15:34.820 align:middle line:84% What was that bright place behind the dark sky? 00:15:34.820 --> 00:15:36.180 align:middle line:90% Hollis woke him. 00:15:36.180 --> 00:15:38.730 align:middle line:90% I heard something, she said. 00:15:38.730 --> 00:15:40.060 align:middle line:90% In the wall? 00:15:40.060 --> 00:15:41.970 align:middle line:90% No, up there. 00:15:41.970 --> 00:15:44.580 align:middle line:90% She pointed at the roof. 00:15:44.580 --> 00:15:46.660 align:middle line:84% They went outside and stood on the deck, 00:15:46.660 --> 00:15:49.170 align:middle line:84% trying to spot whatever it was Hollis heard. 00:15:49.170 --> 00:15:51.360 align:middle line:84% Just when they'd given up, a bobcat 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:54.300 align:middle line:84% landed soundlessly on the railing, her tufted ears 00:15:54.300 --> 00:15:56.730 align:middle line:90% illuminated in the moonlight. 00:15:56.730 --> 00:16:00.960 align:middle line:84% She turned towards them, something cradled in her mouth. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:03.040 align:middle line:90% Hollis grabbed Arlen's arm. 00:16:03.040 --> 00:16:05.400 align:middle line:90% Our rat. 00:16:05.400 --> 00:16:06.400 align:middle line:90% Thank you. 00:16:06.400 --> 00:16:09.823 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE] 00:16:09.823 --> 00:16:17.647 align:middle line:90% 00:16:17.647 --> 00:16:19.740 align:middle line:84% Can we have one more big round of applause 00:16:19.740 --> 00:16:21.190 align:middle line:90% for Josh and for Thomas. 00:16:21.190 --> 00:16:22.450 align:middle line:90% Thank you, guys. 00:16:22.450 --> 00:16:23.410 align:middle line:90% Thank you. 00:16:23.410 --> 00:16:25.980 align:middle line:90% 00:16:25.980 --> 00:16:28.960 align:middle line:84% And a round of applause for Ander Monson, 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:31.740 align:middle line:84% for the broadsides, and for reminding us of our purpose, 00:16:31.740 --> 00:16:34.170 align:middle line:84% and by extension, for the MFA Program more generally 00:16:34.170 --> 00:16:35.410 align:middle line:90% and for these collaborations. 00:16:35.410 --> 00:16:37.320 align:middle line:90% Thank you guys so much. 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:39.590 align:middle line:90% Paco, thank you.