Cold Pastoral

May 1, 2014 10:14 AM

We were in the stage where we couldn’t make serious eye contact for fear of implying we were too invested. We used euphemisms like “I miss you” and “I like you” and smiled every time our noses got too close.

Marina Keegan died in a car accident on Cape Cod in 2012, five days after graduating from Yale. This is the first story from her posthumously-published collection. [Previously]

posted by Sokka shot first (9 comments total)

Seems ironic/prescient/creepy that the story should derive its title from a poem by one of the most famous examples of a writer who died too young.
posted by yoink at 10:17 AM on May 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

What a mature, emotionally wrought story.
posted by ruelle at 11:21 AM on May 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

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posted by Strass at 11:37 AM on May 1, 2014

ironic/prescient/creepy

Not without irony, but given that, line for line, Keats is the source of more titles than just about anybody, it's closer to cliché than prescience. But, given just how good Keats was, I don’t begrudge anybody stealing from him.
posted by Quinbus Flestrin at 11:43 AM on May 1, 2014

Ooof. gutpunch.
posted by stray at 12:43 PM on May 1, 2014

I like it. Much better than the hype led me to anticipate.
posted by grobstein at 2:37 PM on May 1, 2014

This makes me angry at college and grateful to have been exposed to her talent.

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posted by psoas at 2:46 PM on May 1, 2014

Just the first paragraph of this makes me feel grateful, connected to humanity, and somewhat helpless. I was probably feeling helpless before, but this explains why. Continuing to read, this is goddamned clear-eyed and honest and wonderful. Thanks for posting it.
posted by mbrock at 5:39 AM on May 2, 2014

That was great. Many feels, as our generation says. Shame to have her go before her time.
posted by pmv at 4:14 PM on May 2, 2014