PATRICIA: Not all—I’ve known some lovely men. Not many, but a few. This minister I mentioned?—he came one day this summer and sat with me on our porch . . . and we had ice cream and talked for over an hour. You know, when he left his previous church they gave him a Pontiac Grand Am. He made me realize something; he said that I seem to be in like a constant state of prayer. And it’s true; every once in a while it stops me short, realizing it.
It’s like inside me I’m almost continually talking to the Lord. Not in words exactly . . . just—you know—communicating with Him. Or trying to. Deeply excited, but suppressing it. I tell you truthfully, if I can really come out of this I’m going to . . . I don’t know what . . . fall in love with God. I think I have already.
KAREN: You’re really beautiful.”
Excerpt From
The Last Yankee, 1993
The Penguin Arthur Miller Centennial, 1915-2015
Arthur Miller
“KAREN: I cut this finger once in a broken Coke machine. But we never sued.
PATRICIA: Did your conversation always jump around? Because it could be your pills, believe me; the soul belongs to God, we’re not supposed to be stuffing Valium into His mouth.
KAREN: I have a cousin who went right through the windshield and she didn’t get a cent. Slight pause. And it was five below zero out. Slight pause. Her husband’s Norwegian.
[..] Do you mind if I ask you something?
PATRICIA: I hope it’s nothing personal, is it?
KAREN: Well I don’t know.
PATRICIA: . . . Well go ahead, what is it?
KAREN: Do you shop in the A&P or Stop & Shop?
PATRICIA: . . . I’m wondering if you’ve got the wrong medication. But I guess you’ll never overdose—you vomit at the drop of a hat. It may be your secret blessing.”
jackhutton 🇺🇸