fwriction

My roommate and I were talking about this story over the weekend, and I’d forgotten just how much I adore it. It’s a gem from Goldberg, author of Bee Season and Wickett’s Remedy; after being published by failbetter in 2001, the piece was included in Fiction Gallery, a short story anthology that I highly recommend.

Enjoy “Going for the Orange Julius,” today’s Story of the Day, and possibly the best story ever written about a mall:

“We get to the Food Court around 2, after the serious lunch-eaters have gone because Grandma says it’s important to make clear that this is not about being hungry. She always makes sure I eat really good before she sends me off so that it’s the lady in me talking and not my stomach because guys can always tell the difference. Today I get the number #3 special at China Wok. I try to get my mouth around the egg roll in a way that won’t mess up my lipstick but Grandma makes me stop because she says it makes me look like a tramp.”