“

Teresa and Michael seem pretty comfortable in their relationship. At times, he can be nasty to her, but he does it in a playful way. “Isn’t he mean?” she asked me. “No, I’m cute,” said Michael. “He’s cute,” I said. And Michael said, “Sure, he’s not going to say I’m mean because he doesn’t want to spend the whole summer with you.” The man is correct.

“

As Amira uses profanity freely in the best of times, she was pretty heavy with the four-letter words, which enraged Teresa, and a few blows were exchanged. After Teresa hit Amira, Amira pulled Teresa’s arm “out of the socket” and Teresa said she was in great pain. Half a dozen police cars lined up on the street as 18 – count ’em – NYPD officers came up to the apartment.

“

Candy definitely has a chip on her shoulder, a very quick temper, and a scatterbrained attitude. And yet she’s brave and independent and tenacious. I felt affection for her – and lust, too. Erections kept popping up all day (and they must have been noticeable under my running shorts).

“

I was in bed late last night and I called out, “Hey, Miriam, I really like you . . . I just wanted you to know.” She came in here – she stayed in the living room the last two nights – and touched my shoulder, kissed my cheek, and said, “You’re a peach.”

“

I passed some intimidating hoody-looking kids. But after listening to their conversation, I suddenly realized that all of these guys hanging out on my own neighborhood corner, smoking cigarettes in their sleeveless undershirts, were gay. It was weird.

“

Shelli said she married Jerry to get out of her parents’ house: “It was never a great love story anyway,” “But you were crazy about each other!” I said, remembering how much they hurt me in the fall of 1971. “Were we?” she asked. “I don’t remember.”

“

June said Prof. Goodman told her I was “the golden boy of the MFA program.” And then she said, “Looking at you, I can see why.”

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I write to fill a void; to fill many voids.

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The film lit a fire in me to pursue writing. It inspired me to be more introspective. To write with honesty and authenticity.

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Some might say these tales of young angst are clichéd, but they aren’t at all, at least not to them. And that’s what matters, I think.