By Ben Greenman
from forthcoming collection, as yet untitled
A man intending to improve his economic and social standing made his first appearance last week at a neighborhood cocktail party under the name of Darrell Graham. Besides offering the expected pleasantries and compliments, Graham discussed a number of topics, including the discovery of the lost continent of Atlantis, classroom reform, and the airline industry. When pressed to provide more personal information, he evaded his questioners. One example will suffice to illustrate the many examples of this behavior. “Where did you live before this?” asked Janice Everton, and Graham, after staring at her for a moment with what she later described as “icy rage” that was directed so precisely that it could not be sensed by anyone else in attendance, said only this: “North of here.” Graham was accompanied by his new wife, Lara, the daughter of the founder of Raider Foods, the county’s largest employer.
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