In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

The Skeptic The people who discuss their other lives Are utterly unfazed by questions like “But where do all the extra souls appear from?” They mutter something about animals, And quickly change the subject to the fact That they were once the Empress Josephine, Or Balzac, or the best friend of St. Thecla. Small children with a box of dress-up clothes Enthusiastically try on new lives: The princess and the pirate preen themselves Before their gesturing peers, all glamorous, All brave and loved, their rags turned into riches. There’s always one who gets a little wistful, Tearful even, unsure what he should wear. Occasionally, there’ll be a thorough skeptic Who simply takes his clothes off, and puts none on. 17 You are reading copyrighted material published by Ohio University Press/Swallow Press. Unauthorized posting, copying, or distributing of this work except as permitted under U.S. copyright law is illegal and injures the author and publisher. ...

Share