Lilo: 1944
That I am beautiful it cannot be denied. My face. My eyes. My hair. Surely, few are endowed as fortunately as I have been. How it bores me! Alex stares and stares, as if he could discover some meaning in my loveliness, a reason-- there are no reasons. To be beautiful is my fate. (Lilo's Diary, p. 11).
December 31, 1943
The year ends with work on a new book: The Abolition of Poverty. Thoughts very confused, intentions honorable, I think. My hope is to make a contribution to the postwar reconstruction such as will be necessary if men of my position are to remain in public respect.
CHAPTER ONE
Dear Tolmach,
'...I remember blood, Judith's, a great pool thickening against the floor as in a shallow basin. The tiny octagonal floor tiles slanting ever so slightly toward the base of the old crow-footed yellow tub. Each tile hiding flecks of blood.
'Within the tub more blood, liberally marbleizing the smooth porcelain in clots, fibers, speckles, flakes: some partly hemolized; others gummy resins; or little red rainbow bubbles on the dark soapy surface of the water bobbing...
CROSSING OVER
An ordinary life can be a disaster. You don't despise people any less for not being very much at all. They are people, and we all make errors, some of us, of course, more than others. If only they knew there were others making errors just like themselves they would be no less ordinary. But they are not our peers, or friends, just our brothers.
(CROSSING OVER, p. 3)
