The New Yorker
December 15, 2014
Price $6.99
I study each weekly cover
of the New Yorker
carefully
when it comes in the mail.
the most fascinating cover (to me) in the past six years was December 15, 2014 – a glimpse into two studio apartments at Christmas
“High and Low” by Ivan Brunetti
upstairs, closed door, sparsely furnished room – room to think, to breathe, to focus without distractionswalls painted cool grey – a young woman in a green sweater and a red plaid skirt seated at a computer table, staring at the screen
downstairs, open door – eclectic clutter! walls painted warm yellow – everything everywhere, scattered, a young man in a green overcoat, jeans, a red knit pom-pom cap. and a gray scarf entering the flat balancing three gift boxes and a gift bag
upstairs and downstairs, the same doormat
the same hardwood floors
the same layout
upstairs, a floor vase holds a stripped branch adorned with a string of round Christmas lights
downstairs, a potted balsam Christmas tree topped with a white dove, full of ornaments, minus the lights, sits on a table
one gift underneath
upstairs, a wall shelf lined with three Christmas cards on display sits above an electrical outlet where nothing is plugged in – three empty hooks by the door positioned over the light switch – modern and sleek gray light fixture hangs
downstairs, two bookcases, a snowman decoration, a globe, an antique clock, a gold framed painting, a December calendar with Santa, a framed photograph of a lone subject, an antique radio, and a Mickey Mouse phone on a table, sit underneath a garland lining the fissured ceiling, where a traditional chandelier-style fixture hangs
upstairs, no pets – not even a computer mouse
downstairs, a white cat watches – he spilled a few bites of his food from the dish nearby
upstairs, a modem and laptop sit on the single gray computer table occupying the room, accompanied by a to-go cup of coffee, green and white like Starbucks, complete with plastic lid
and
notably
a place to sit – one black chair!
downstairs, a wooden coffee table piled high with two stacks of work flyers or brochures sitting atop an unopened envelope, white porcelain saucer and cup of tea with a spoon nearby – also, an antique phonograph with a 45 under the needle, an open cardboard box of outgoing cards, a marked book on the floor, a laptop desk near the table, and an unstarted crossword puzzle, with a stray pencil near the fringed area rug
and I can’t help wondering how the ceiling got cracked
Common Threads 