Re: JCO: RE: Female of the Species

Hi, Kim. I remember that story very well, tho I'm too indolent to get up and
see which collection it's in. The runner is coming down a hill, and her
husband is several hundred yards behind her, so the two guys at the bottom of the
hill don't see him yet. One of them steps into the woman's path in a somewhat
menacing way: maybe he just wants to make her swerve around him as a "joke"
or maybe he's going to give her some real trouble. The woman is increasingly
worried as she approaches the two men -- a situation most women have
encountered at one time or other: will this be just a harmless dopey joke or some
unpleasant incident I can't handle alone? As soon as hubby appears on the crest of
the hill, the guy steps back out of the woman's path, which suggests that
whatever he had planned to do wouldn't have set well with hubby. Maybe it was just
his oaffish way of flirting with what at first appeared to be a single woman;
or maybe he intended to trip her or yell some obscenity -- or just yell
BOO!!!-- as she passed by. We never find out. I can't remember the runner's
reaction, aside from relief, but it was a nice little vignette.
Best,
Cyrano

In a message dated 1/22/2006 6:34:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,
kstarrett5@comcast.net writes:

<< There is one story I especially enjoyed and admired -- I believe the title
is The Runner though I don't recall in which volume it was collected. In
this marvelous story a woman is running on a wooded path with her lover from
whom she becomes separated. While running alone she sees on the path up
ahead two men, not running, just standing there. What follows is her swift
transformation from strong, confident woman to helpless victim and it all
takes place in the woman's mind. At the same time she continues to run
toward these strangers seemingly unable to divert her steps or act in any
other way to overt her victimization which she has already resigned herself
to. >>
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group

To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco

Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page:
http://jco.usfca.edu/