The breeze in the room stirs softly as a babe's breath. A cup of French roast and a freshly-baked blueberry scone lie on the table. Shelves and cases and piles of books, everywhere. Books are my life. There are the books that comforted me during the hardest times of my life: break-ups, illnesses, the death of loved ones. I would read and re-read the same well-worn volumes as if recounting the past with old friends. Duras is the writer dearest to me. I learned to write by copying some of her stories word for word. I also loved Mary Gaitskill's stories and Anne Rice's _The Witching Hour_. All the stories are about outcasts, strangers to society and often strangers to themselves. I memorized my favorite passages so that they would become part of me. # Some people think my stories are dark. But I believe there is a beauty in decay that cannot be found anywhere else. The Japanese believe that the cherry blossom is most beautiful when it first begins to wilt. Like the Japanese, I believe that a woman is most beautiful when she first realizes that her youth is fading. Outside the window, there is a school yard. Even when there are no children present, I sometimes imagine the sound of them playing. The room is quiet. margiedonnadieu@gmail.com /~margie_donnadieu/