padgett powell likes fiddling w/words throwing them together in combination rarely seen together: "a new petroleum air of virgin potential resides there, but only until the volvos and the skateboards pull in. the volvos discharge baby strollers and easy-listening fm, the skateboards the funk of boys, all taming the new wilderness."thus wrote mrs. hollingsworth, 50-something, hell bent on purpose, or toward purpose, splay-footed or otherwise i can't tell.mrs. hollingsworth "entertained this thought: she was losing her way. was she losing her way? the question presumed she had once not been losing her way. had she once not been losing her way?"you can almost see the development of "interrogative mood" in the above quote.this story was a delight to read, entertaining, hilarious, and god-forbid, thought-provoking. all those things you take for granted, powell questions, points at...look, see?you may, as mrs. hollingsworth, "come to a halt."but not before you reach the last page.this one is worth a read.i have no idea when i first read this one...some time in the last decade. i believe i've read it a number of times.
