Monday, April 17, 2006

Pyromania

I like to start fires, as do most of the women in my family. That would be a great opening line for a novel, but it also happens to be the truth, especially this time of year when I've got piles of leaves sitting around, taunting me with their incendiary nature. I already burned one pile, even though I'm pretty sure there was a burning ban on, and it was great. That got me to thinking. How many arsonists are female? In the U.S., roughly 16%, in 2003. Hmm. I would have thought more would be female. Or maybe the women just get caught less?

Anyhow, my need to burn things is wholly satisfied by a lot of camping and maybe a leaf pile or two, so whew. But I wonder if it is just the women in my family who like to burn things, or if that is a gender-favoring trait? Happy Monday thoughts. Oh, and good news! The Sunday St. Paul Pioneer Press covered May Day. Thank you, Mary Ann Grossman! (and Brian)

2 comments:

  1. Speaking of great opening lines, my favorite of everything I've read this semester comes from Lorrie Moore's short story, "Amahl and the Night Visitors":

    Understand that your cat is a whore and can't help you.

    Brilliant.

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  2. Ahh, Def Leppard. Rise up, gather round, rock this place to the ground. Burn it up, let's go for broke, watch the night go up in smoke. Rock on. Rock on. You can take the girl out of Paynesville, but you can't take Paynesville out of the girl.

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