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I slammed the apartment door, dropped my bags on the entry table, and announced, “I’m moving to Alaska.”
From the living room, a voice said, “No, you’re not.”
Me: Yes I am. I’m tired of lights and noise and people. I want live off the grid and be at one with the vastness of nature. Al-Can Highway here I come.
Roommate: You’d go spare in a day.
I walked into the living room and flumfed down into a chair by the window.
Roommate: Bad day at work?
I turned to watch taxicabs play race-to-the-stoplight. After a while I realized the room was silent. Was I supposed to be saying something? I turned back the room.
Roommate: I rest my case. Your idea of a soothing activity is to watch traffic. You are the most on-grid person I know. You do something with computers that I do not understand.
I opened my mouth. They held up their hand.
Roommate: You’ve explained many times. I still don’t understand.
They got up. Went to the kitchen. Returned with a half full bag of polvorones. Handed me the cookies.
Roommate: You convinced your college to recognize esports as a varsity sport. Your idea of fun is to get together a raiding party with your new best friends in the Czech Republic or Rio. (waved hand at wall) You make digital art that half the art world adores and the other half thinks is a sign of the downfall of civilization. You would never survive without broadband, a robust electrical system, and taco shops that are open at 2 am (gestured at bag of Mexican cookies).
Me: You’re right. Of course. But I like to think about it.
Roommate: No harm in that.
Me: Do you every get tired of playing amateur psychologist and talking me down from the trees?
Roommate: Nah. Your energy is part of your charm. You’re like one of those sled dogs who lives to pull and has a hissy fit if they are not chosen for the team (paused in thought). Now that I could see you doing. Going to Alaska as a sled dog.
Me: Hmmm.
Roommate: I know that look. You’re thinking of new video installation.
Me: What if you could? What if you could run the Iditarod as a sled dog? Not as a person in a dog suit but behaving the way a real dog would. You would get rewarded the closer you are to maintaining actual dog behavior. We could do this with all kinds of animals in all kinds of different situations. We’d get animal behaviorists involved. That would be one of the selling points. People could have the experience of thinking like an animal (paused to stare into space for a moment). Is this a good idea or rife with the potential to be horrifying?
Roommate: Why not both?
Me: I would have to go to Alaska. To do research.
Roommate: Now, that I could see you doing.
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Inspiration
Currently ettending UChicago Graham School, Alaska: Indigenous, Russian, American.
How do I write a story set in a place I’ve never been?
The native traditions have so many cool stories. They would be fun to riff from. How do I use the ideas without cultural appropriation?
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 