The Unknown: The Blue Line.
 


(We’re being silly, we’re doing poses, we’re snapping our fingers, we’re putting cigarettes in our mouths.)

W: Can we have all the cigarettes pointing to the right, and do this?

(Pointing finger to the ground.)

(The owner of the Green Mill comes out of the bar. He doesn’t look happy.)


OWNER: What are you guys doin?

S: Actually, ah, we’re doing a hypertext novel.

OWNER: Yeah?

S: It’s a novel on the web that’s gonna be free for everybody to read, sort of a promotional stunt for an anthology that’s coming out.

A: These guys are all writers.

OWNER: So?

S: There’s a couple scenes in the hypertext that are set here.

OWNER: Oh. Well usually wouldn’t you ask if it’s okay before you do that, or no?

S: Ah, yeah. Are you the guy, to ask?

OWNER: Well I own the joint.

S: Oh, okay. Sorry about that. Is it alright if—

OWNER: Well, I mean, you coulda just walked in and said is anyone around we could ask somethin, ya know what I mean?

A,S: Sorry, I’m sorry.

A: What’s your name?

OWNER: Dave.

A: Dave, Adam, how you doin?

OWNER (DAVE): What’s your last name?

A: Richer.

OWNER: Did you call in to ask? No one’s ever called, and I got people callin all the time, it’s just, I mean you do it that way, I see you got the light meter and all that, I don’t give a shit if it’s just tourists but then you see somethin’ published or this or that and you think, “Why the fuck don’t those people ask?” It just isn’t polite.

S: Yeah, sorry.

A: I understand, sorry bout that. I’m into your place. I’ve been here many a time for poetry slams, jazz, whatnot.

S: We were gonna step in for a drink anyhow, so, ah . . .

OWNER: Okay.

S: Sorry we did that.

OWNER: Well it’s alright, just—

A: I understand, I understand.

OWNER: That’s okay.

W: We think you’ll like it.

OWNER: (Laughing) Alright, cool. I don’t even know how to turn a computer on so it’ll dial a telephone. But maybe someday I’ll see it.

PREVIOUS / NEXT
Audio Button Audio Clip
28.8 RealAudio Download
2:52
358K File

If you don’t have it, get RealAudio

MAP BOOKSTORES PEOPLE
sickening
decadent
hypertext
novel META
fiction
al bull
shit sort of
a doc
ument
ary corr
e
spond
ence art is
cool 
look
at art live
read
ings
CONTACT PRESS ANTHOLOGY