journal features

"finished"

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Shanghai, 2009.10.27

We'd had a long day, and The Boy was exhausted. We'd been doing a fair bit of walking and everywhere we went The Boy had people smiling and greeting him and wanting to touch him. It all seemed a bit overwhelming, so he had a couple of deep naps during the day.

During the second of the three naps, he spoke in his sleep. Stirring, he said, "owari" ("finished") quite clearly then went back to sleep.

rand()m quote

The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself.

—Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov