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2005 July
From the monthly archives: July 2005

I.M. Pie

By On July 26, 2005 · In From the Tombs

I like to make pies. This is mostly because I like to eat pies. But it’s also because making pie crust is the closest I get to meditation. It’s the beautiful alchemy of it all. You have this recipe that has at most four ingredients, one being water, and it’s all in the ratios and [...]

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The one-eyed undertaker

By On July 25, 2005 · In Danse Macabre, From the Tombs

The One-Eyed Undertaker is the nom-de-plume of a friend who works as an undertaker-cum-”catch-all” at his family’s funeral home. It’s a fascinating line of work–certainly one that’s had a lot of interest from the media these days–and it’s even more interesting because he’s a great storyteller. If I didn’t want to be dumped in the Thames when I died, I’d certainly use his services. Here’s an interview we did in 2005.

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Home Comforts

By On July 5, 2005 · In Adipocere, From the Tombs

As any of you who’ve been to visit can attest, I am a consummate slob. I’ve always been this way, and it might be partially genetic. I also attribute it to my mother’s Sisyphian take on housekeeping: It’s an arduous, all-day, everyday task, not unlike working in the diamond mines in South Africa. The vacuum cleaner was just another piece of furniture in the living room. The bathroom sink was the permanent repository for rubber gloves. You could outfit a plaid flannel army with my father’s shirts that sat waiting to be ironed.

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