A Tribute to Haruki Murakami

by larryniven


You see, music has always worked for me like smells work for everyone else. People say this or that odor means HOME, but for me it's Tchaikovsky's "Lullaby." Whenever I want SUMMER, nothing tops Gershwin. The Beatles, they sound like CHILDHOOD. When she sang, I heard MYSELF – what could I do but fall in love?

100m from redemption

by larryniven


Run.

The starter's pistol 50 meters ago, echoing. Breathe, run.

Flashbulbs snap, the audience's pre-applause filling the world, drowning out the men behind me – or ahead? Breathe, run.

No way to tell. No time to breathe. Run.

50 meters later, only one possibility negates the hateful white-tipped cane: did I win?

Did I win?