№. 9—The Puppet Master

The chapter about Tim’s death was supposed to lead into a chapter about Luciano and Harm Reduction — why he was attracted to it; also, whether or not it was a good idea for him to work around drugs.

Instead, thinking about that time set him to reminiscing about his drug-using days — there are so many more stories: He thought he might want to root around in that material a little more, before moving on. Then he started thinking maybe he should write some more about his upbringing: That could be a book in itself, too.

So, as I cooled my heels waiting for him to “hand something in”– that’s what he keeps calling it — we decided I should just write my own section.

STEPHANIE: Really? That’s not going to be very good.

LUCIANO: Of course it is! You’re a writer!

STEPHANIE: I know, but. Not of this part. I mean, yeah, when we get back to the marriage part, and the drugs and all that. But all this background stuff — that’s all you! I don’t want to write about my childhood, and the time before I met you, and about how fucked up I was. Am. Was. Whatever. That’s not exactly going to be entertaining…

LUCIANO: Yeah, I know. But: You can make it into something good.

STEPHANIE: No, I really can’t. It’ll just be, like, having a really tedious conversation with me at my worst — you know: Where everything connects to everything, and by the end your head is spinning and you just want it to stop. It’ll be like going to therapy with me…