Something Heroic And Remote

“I’ve always wished I was a professional dancer,” Linda said.

I said, “Don’t dancers have to be really skinny?”

Linda made a face—women who know me have to be able to make lots of faces—and said, “Shut up, you asshole.”


I hadn’t thought about Kate and Anna McGarrigle for a long time. But I saw today that Kate McGarrigle passed away last year.


One time Linda and I had a big fight and I took back a lot of my stuff from her apartment. As I was getting ready to leave, Linda picked up my copy of Kate and Anna McGarrigles’s album, “Dancer With Bruised Knees.”

Linda kind of embraced the album and made a face at me that I hadn’t seen before. I thought of that observation from Degas, “The dance instills in you something that sets you apart, something heroic and remote.” Linda said, “I’m keeping this album. I love this album. You can take the rest of your stuff. It’s your stuff. But I’m keeping this album even though it’s yours. I’m keeping this album.”

I loved dancing with Linda. She used to hold me just like she held that album.


I’m sad, learning that Kate McGarrigle passed away. She was great. I hold my memories of hearing her and her sister sing as closely as Linda held her album.

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Kate and Anna McGarrigle at Wikipedia




Something That Sets You Apart


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