Contents

BEFORE EVERYTHING

IF AN OLD MAN APPEARS, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW

YOU HAVE TO FIND TWO KINDS OF LOVE

YOU CAN’T BE SAD ALL THE TIME

YOU CAN SHATTER LIKE A VASE

YOU CAN FIT INTO THE DARK

YOU CAN MAKE A NIGHT DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER NIGHTS

FIND A WAY TO STAVE OFF THE LONELINESS

YOU HAVE TO FIND ALL HIDDEN THINGS

THE SECOND DAY (OR THE FIRST DAY OF PASSOVER)

FIND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOOD AND MEMORY

FIND ALL THE HIDDEN MAIL

NOBODY KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT FAMILY

AND NOW GO THROUGH LIFE THIS WAY

EVERYONE COMES FROM SOMEWHERE

THE GODS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES

ALL THINGS LOST

THE THIRD DAY (OR THE SECOND DAY OF PASSOVER)

PRETEND TO BE THE DRESSMAKER’S DUMMY

THE VERY LAST VAUDEVILLE SHOW

MAKE YOUR OWN MIRACLES

THINGS THAT ARE HIDDEN

ALL THE WORLD’S HIDDEN RESERVES

THE FOURTH DAY (OR THE THIRD DAY OF PASSOVER)

YOU SHOULD ONLY BE ON ONE SIDE AT A TIME

YOU SHOULD ONLY HAVE ONE LOVE IN YOUR LIFE

MAYBE THE POSTMEN SHOULD WRITE THE LETTERS TOO

SO MANY SECRET COMPARTMENTS

FEELING SORRY FOR THE ONE-HANDED CARPENTER

CALLING IN THE SECRET AGENTS

THE FIFTH DAY (OR THE FOURTH DAY OF PASSOVER)

SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND A WAY

SOMETIMES ALL YOU FIND ARE CREEPERS

REACHING FINGERS OF DUST

CEMETERY MEN

ALL THE USUAL ARGUMENTS

ALL THE LATE-NIGHT DRINKS

THE SIXTH DAY (OR THE FIFTH DAY OF PASSOVER)

LOVE, LIKE LIGHT, FILLS EVERYTHING

THE UNNATURAL CONNECTIONS WILL BE MADE

A TRAMP LOSES HIS COMPANION

STANDING ON YOUR HEAD CAN BE AN IMPERFECT SOLUTION

THE CAPACITY FOR INFINITE HAPPINESS

LOVE LETTERS IN CULINARY NOTATION

THE SEVENTH DAY (OR THE SIXTH DAY OF PASSOVER)

LOVE ME, ETCETERA

SOME PEOPLE LOVE SO FREELY

INTO THE GREAT, WIDE HALLWAY

THE MAN WHO LOOKED LIKE LOVE

THE LAST HAND

ONE MORE ORPHAN VERTEX

THE EIGHTH DAY (OR THE SEVENTH DAY OF PASSOVER)

DON’T LEAVE

IT HURTS WHEN EVERYONE YOU LOVE IS TRYING TO GIVE YOU AWAY

EVERYONE NEEDS SOMEONE

THE LOVE LETTER

Acknowledgements