dennis scharnberg

pass a law

“The walls are moving,” said Brenda, with a tone of concern in her voice. “The walls are moving!”

Bertram Worcester, The Smiling Killer.

dossier Dossier DOSSIER

“What if actors could smile, Jennifer? Right there in front of the camera. Wouldn’t that be good?”

Ralston Dowd, A Spot of Bother.

painting crown molding

“Where are the smirks of yesteryear?”

Patrick Malmsy, Collected Poems.

compressing a spring

What is a world?

Hampton Fancher, Variations on the Red Barn Con.

by the slice

TV: a means of casting spells.

Nathaniel Bumppo, The Final Word.

by the bucketful

“I guarantee nothing,” said Mr. Hammer, as though he had spoken the line many times before.

Myrtle Mawby, Cabinets and Drawers, a Novel.

said and sung

Bimboo: particularly stupid bamboo.

Clive Morrow, A Crustacean’s Dictionary.

casting word spells

We owe it to ourselves to notice the obvious.

Godfrey Tooke, Collected Aphorisms.

what to like

Modernity makes us stupid.

Amanda Willcoxen, ed., The Literary and Philosophical Fragments of Gregory James Sallust.

everything is theater

“Like the New York Times,” sneered Gettings, “I can ignore anything I choose to ignore.”

Ralston Dowd, The General Ghastliness.