Challenge 780

Blowing Town

In Danko Antolovic’s Flight, in what ways are Minos and his entire family cursed?
All four of the poems in this issue, a Review Editor notes, are addressed to “you.” In each case, who might this person be?
In Tom Crowley’s When Working Memory Retires: At the end, Charles returns to Brian’s philosophy: “You are what you produce. When you don’t, you aren’t.”
1. “Produce” what? Are people worth only their weight in academic achievements?
2. Why does “produce” not square with Jean-Paul Sartre’s “motto” of Existentialism: Faire et, en faisant, se faire, et n’être rien que ce qu’on s’est fait? (Act and, by taking action, define oneself and be only what one has done.)
  
  Note that Sartre’s “motto” is prose poetry; it’s a play on the verb faire. English translations tend to fall short by being overly precise. What is the difference between what Tom Crowley’s Charles and Jean-Paul Sartre are really saying?
In John Eric Ellison’s The Excellence of Oysters:
1. Why has Social Security “failed”? Who wants it to fail? Who stands to profit if it does? Who will be harmed?
2. How does the “lottery” actually work?
3. Jim pontificates frequently. Are his tirades coherent? Does anything he says or does really make any difference in the outcome of the story?
In Gary Clifton’s Five Points Justice:
1. In what ways does Brannigan function like a superhero such as Superman? Where does the physical action take place: on-stage or off?
2. Does the New York City police chief have a name? If so, what is it? If not, why not?
3. Why might the police chief be relieved that Brannigan is leaving town? Does Brannigan need to bluster about a possible arrest?
4. Is the police chief in as bad a position or worse than Brannigan has ever been in Uvalde?

Responses welcome!