Postcards from the
End of America
LINH DINH
Seven Stories Press
New York Oakland London
Copyright 2017 by Linh Dinh
Richard Wright haiku [page 271272] reprinted by permission of Arcade Publishing, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street
New York, NY 10013
www.sevenstories.com
Library of Congress Control Number 2016961760.
Printed in the USA.
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Many thanks to all those who supported this
project through the years!
Versions of these pieces were published at Unz Review,
Counter Currents, Intrepid Report, Information Clearing House and other webzines.
CONTENTS
1- Richmond, VA, 2010. Sixty-four years old, Harriet worked in a thrift store. My husband is seventy-six years old, and I will take care of him until the end. He wont be in any nursing home.
2- Savannah, GA, 2011. Eighty-three years old, he was collecting aluminum cans. Back when I was small, I wouldnt think twice about walking a mile to buy a dollar of coal for my family. If my mom told me to do it, Id just do it. Id push that cart down the road to get us some coal.
3- Williston, ND, 2014. She was a bartender at DKs Lounge and Casino.
4- Wolf Point, MT, 2014. Forty-five-year-old Mervin Running Bear in Stockmans Bar. This means were all equal. In 2015, Mervin was arrested for stabbing a man in Arlos, a bar across the street.
5- Portland, OR, 2014. Thirty-five-year-old Sam in Ming Lounge. Born in Laos, Sam had been a metal fabricator, welder and boat painter. Unemployed, he was homeless.
6- Boston, MA, 2011. Katie: From the age of twelve, Ive always wanted to be an animal. I stay outside as much as possible.
7- Philadelphia, PA, 2013. Chili Willie and his niece in Broad Street Tavern. Chili on fighting in Vietnam: No, it didnt freak me out, because I had a job to do.
8- Jersey City, NJ, 2014. Karaoke at the Golden Cicada Tavern.
9- Columbus, OH, 2014. Forty-three-year-old Monroe in The Patio. Monroe was a carpenter, housepainter, bartender and valet. Hey, you want to see my girlfriend?
10- Kennewick, WA, 2014. Pablo in Players: I have the smallest dick in the world, but women love me, because I know how to listen.
11- Cheyenne, WY, 2013. Fifty-three-year-old Jim in the Eagles Nest. Jim on his nine kids: Im still in touch with each of them, and Ive taken care of all of them.
12- On an Amtrak train going through Iowa, 2014. Fifty-seven-year-old Dean just got out of jail. Youve got to use your brain. Ive always used my brain. They steal too, so I steal, but I dont rip off the little guys. Id never steal from you. I give money to the poor. Im stealing for Jesus.
13- Los Angeles, CA, 2013. After an all-night bus from San Francisco, I was wandering around 5th and Broadway at 5 a.m. when I ran into fifty-five-year-old Eric Hurt. Homeless, Eric had played four games in the NFL.
14- Cheyenne, WY, 2013. You like girls? Go to the Green Door. He lived at the Pioneer Hotel.
15- Philadelphia, PA, 2011. Im Ahuviya Harel, twenty-six years old and female.
16- Taylor, PA, 2015. Bob Bruno at home.
17- Savannah, GA, 2011. Steven and Megan in their broken-down RV by the side of a creek. They had no heat, electricity or plumbing. Steven worked for sixteen years at the headquarters of Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Atlanta. After studying broadcasting in college, Megan was a whore for three years at the Mustang Ranch in Nevada. Drunk one night, she jumped off a bridge, so became wheelchair bound. Steven: We fell in love over a Van Morrison song.
18- Detroit, MI, 2010. People laughed at her as she scrounged for food from a trash can outside the Greyhound station.
19- Allentown, PA, 2015. He is a veteran of Desert Storm. Immigrants used to come here, but they came to achieve the American Dream, correct? The Muslims came also, but they didnt come to change the laws of the land. Now, they want to change the laws, just as the gays are doing. If the Muslims dont eat pork, you must cater to them. And the LBGT, the gays, since they want same-sex marriage, every state must cater to them.
Next page