I really enjoyed the two stories in this week’s reading. ZZ Packer’s “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” and “Speaking in Tongues” were edgy yet sentimental. The rough and tough subject matter that is being faced in the second story couldn’t have been easy to write about in a way that would be easy to read. But, if there is one thing that has become obvious about Packer it is that she is not concerned about making her reader feel comfortable with the subject at hand.
In the story “Speaking in Tongues” we meet Tia, a young church-going and naïve teen from the South running away to Atlanta to find her real mother. Her strength and brevity seemed admirable until you realized that it wasn’t really strength, but foolishness and naiveté that landed her at Dezi’s apartment. In the scene when Dezi begins kissing and undressing her I experienced a mixture of feelings. As I imagined this young woman in my head being taken advantage of by a thirty-two year old man I felt sympathy, anger, frustration, and most of all shock. Yes, my mouth actually dropped while reading this passage. It seems that Packer confronts many scenarios and though it should be expected or not surprising when you come by such events, but somehow it still manages to shock the reader.
The unfortunate truth is that these stories happen more often than any of us would like to believe. Packer just brings it to the forefront of your mind. I really hope Tia made it home.
Posted by: Krista Behrends
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