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Ariadne(in(Kentucky:(Erotic(Power(and(Mythic(Resonance(in(William(Heath’s(neo-noir(novel(
Devil&Dancer(
I"began"!"#$%&!'()"*"with"the"notion"that"the"tale"of"Theseus,"Ariadne,"and"the"Minotaur"was"
the"first"detective"story,"involving"such"essentials"as"exploring"an"underworld,"following"
Ariadne’s"“clue,”"and"confronting"a"dangerous"adversary.""While"labyrinthine"imagery"shapes"
my"novel,"the"figure"of"Anna"Crane,"a"modern-day"snake-goddess"Ariadne,"plays"a"prominent"
role.""From"the"moment"she"appears"holding"a"loop"of"jumper"cable"in"each"hand"“like"a"pair"of"
slim"snakes”"(12),"in"order"to"re-start"his"dead"car"battery,"to"saving"his"life"later"in"the"novel,"
Anna"plays"a"disruptive"role"in"detective"Wendell"Clay’s"life.""She"is"the"+",,"&+'-'%""of"his"
condominium,"who"strings"him"along"and"puts"him"through"his"paces"while"both"revealing"and"
concealing"her"true"nature.""Ariadne’s"dancing"floor"is"featured"at"the"labyrinth"at"Knossos,"and"
Anna"best"displays"her"erotic"power"while"dancing.""In"his"quest"to"solve"the"shooting"of"the"
stallion"Devil"Dancer,"Wendell"Clay"investigates"a"twisted,"digressive"maze"that"ends"in"a"lethal"
encounter"with"his"own"Minotaur.""The"ultimate"labyrinth"my"book"dramatizes"consists"of"the"
unconscious"forces,"suggested"by"mythology,"that"have"for"millennia"shaped"human"character."
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William"Heath:((Ariadne(in(Kentucky:(Erotic(Power(and(Mythic(Resonance(in(Devil&Dancer&
" "
Most"crime"novels"kill"time.""As"the"clock"ticks"pages"are"turned,"bodies"accumulate,"
plots"coagulate,"cheap"thrills"proliferate,"and"a"who-done-it"curiosity"is"satisfied.""Life"resumes,"
and"nothing"that"matters"has"been"experienced"or"learned.""Yet"from"the"Greeks"on"many"
classic"works"are"about"crime"and"punishment.""What"accounts"for"the"difference?""“Literature,"
properly"speaking,"can"be"said"to"come"into"existence,”"Leslie"Fiedler"argues,"“at"the"moment"
Signature"is"imposed"on"Archetype.”""Signature"is"the"distinctive"craft"of"the"novelist;"the"ability"
to"create"characters,"dramatize"central"issues,"sustain"a"story,"and"write"with"poetic"precision"
about"troubling"aspects"of"our"existence.""Archetype"is"related"to"mythology,"where",.-/01,"or"
“word,”"is"combined"with"%0201,"or"story,"which"for"the"Greeks"meant"a"story"of"the"gods.""
Those"tales"retain"their"significance"because"they"capture"an"enduring,"universal"dimension"in"
particular"events.""When"myths"harden"into"dogma"we"get"religion,"theology,"holy"war,"while"
living"mythology"presents"us"with"conflict"among"gods"whose"dilemmas"illuminate"the"human"
condition.""Writers"like"Sophocles,"Dante,"and"Shakespeare,"Fielder"notes,"wrote"during"times"
when"Archetypes"were"accepted"as"“given,”"but"not"so"“sacred”"that"they"couldn’t"be"revised"
and"revitalized"by"an"artist’s"Signature.""Some"modern"writers"like"Graham"Greene"are"still"able"
to"redeem"“debased"‘popular’"archetypes,”"like"the"detective"story,"for"“serious"purposes.”1""In"
what"follows,"I"will"discuss"how"I"put"my"signature"on"archetypal"myths"of"Crete"in"my"crime"
novel"!"#$%&!'()"*."
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
1"Leslie"Fiedler,"“Archetype"and"Signature:"the"Relationship"of"Poet"and"Poem,”"3/"&40%%")-"5&611'.1&0+&7"1%$"&
8$"%5"*&9N.Y.:"Stien"and"Day,"1972),"537,"545,"546.""See"also,"Harry"Levin,"“Some"Meanings"of"Myth,”"in"Harry"A."
Murray,"ed.,":.-/&'(5&:.-/,';$(2"(N.Y.:"George"Braziller,"1960):"103-113."
3"
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Archetype(
The"essential"myths"of"Crete,"as"related"by"classical"authors"from"Homer"to"Ovid,"are"
well"known.""Zeus,"disguised"as"a"bull,"abducts"Europa"and"carries"her"back"to"Crete.""Their"son,"
King"Minos,"refuses"to"sacrifice"a"beautiful"bull"he"had"requested"from"Poseidon,"who,"in"
revenge,"causes"Queen"Pasiphae"to"desire"it.""Daedalus"contrives"a"hollow"wooden"cow"that"
enables"her"to"consummate"her"lust,"and"she"gives"birth"to"a"bull-man,"the"Minotaur,"who"is"
concealed"in"a"labyrinth"at"Knossos"also"designed"by"Daedalus.""To"fulfill"a"tribute"imposed"by"
King"Minos,"Athens"sends"seven"youths"and"seven"maidens"every"eight"years"to"be"devoured"by"
the"Minotaur.""Determined"to"end"this"brutality,"Theseus"poses"as"one"of"the"young"men.""Upon"
his"arrival"at"Knossos,"the"king’s"daughter"Ariadne"is"captivated"by"his"manly"grace"and"vows"to"
assist"him.""She"gives"him"a"skein"of"thread,"called"a"“clue,”"which"enables"him"to"descend"into"
the"labyrinth,"slay"the"Minotaur,"and"find"his"way"out"again.""While"this"brave"deed"saves"many"
lives,"his"relationship"with"Ariadne"does"not"end"happily.""Theseus"abandons"her"on"the"island"
of"Delos,"and"then"performs"a"convoluted"dance"that"recapitulates"his"escape"from"the"
labyrinth.""After"returning"to"Athens"a"celebrated"hero,"he"engages"in"more"heroic"and"erotic"
adventures"before"falling"to"his"death"years"later.""Meanwhile,"various"accounts"depict"Ariadne"
in"the"arms"of"Dionysius,"who"either"abandons"or"murders"her.""Finally"Daedalus,"in"an"attempt"
to"flee"with"his"son"to"their"home"in"Greece,"fashions"wings"of"feathers"and"wax"that"melt"when"
Icarus"ignores"his"father’s"warning,"flies"too"near"the"sun,"and"falls"into"the"sea."""
" Archaeological"finds"in"the"last"century"profoundly"altered"our"understanding"of"Bronze"
Age"Crete.""Sir"Arthur"Evans"began"his"excavations"at"Knossos"in"1900"and"quickly"uncovered"
abundant"evidence"that"appeared"to"validate"historically"the"mythology"of"Crete.""The"palace"
4"
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itself"proved"to"be"a"labyrinth,"consisting"of"hundreds"of"rooms—varying"from"tiny"storage"
areas"to"large"ritual"spaces—with"grand"staircases,"royal"suites,"and"obscure"passageways.""
There"were"even"a"few"flush"toilets"and"lustral"basins.""Restored"wall"frescoes"featured"
gatherings"of"stylishly"dressed"women"with"fancy"hairdos,"limber"youths"leaping"over"the"horns"
of"a"charging"bull,"and"marine"scenes"of"sporting"dolphins,"flying"fish,"octopus,"squid,"and"blue"
water.""Prominently"displayed"were"images"of"a"double-edged"axe,"or"%'<*.1,"a"word"related"to"
%'<.*$(-/,"as"well"as"the"horns"of"the"bull,"apparently"a"symbol"of"potency.""Coins,"rings,"and"
seals"depicted"bulls,"goddesses,"and"mazes.""Perhaps"most"striking"of"all"was"the"discovery"of"
several"ivory"and"inlaid"gold"statuettes"of"a"female"named"“the"snake"goddess.”""Somewhat"
over"a"foot"tall,"the"most"renowned"of"these"figures"
held"serpents"in"her"upraised"hands,"had"a"cat"
perched"on"her"head,"and"wore"a"tight-fitting,"short-
sleeved"bodice"that"exposed"her"breasts,"a"snug"belt"
around"her"slim"waist,"and"a"short"apron"over"a"long,"
flounced"skirt"that"reached"to"her"feet.""Many"
assumed"that"this"snake"goddess"represented"the"
“real”"Ariadne,"and"Evans"announced"that"he"had"
found"Ariadne’s"bath"as"well"as"her"dancing"floor.""
Once"word"of"these"sensational"discoveries"spread,"
Isadora"Duncan"came"to"dance"there.""
"The"myths"of"Crete"have"had"a"lasting"impact"on"the"arts.""One"of"Catullus’s"best"poems"
is"about"Ariadne,"for"example;"Theseus’s"descent"into"the"underworld"influenced"both"Virgil"and"
5"
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Dante.""The"first"act"of"Wagner’s"opera,"7'&<"%%"&=>%"(","ends"with"the"stirring"finale,"“Off"to"
Crete!""Off"to"Crete!”""These"three"words,"Nietzsche"warned"in"his"3/"&4'1"&0+&?'2("*,"were"
seducing"the"youth"of"Europe.""Certainly"/""was"enthralled,"writing"in"his"notebook,"“O"Ariadne,"
you"are"yourself"the"labyrinth"from"which"one"does"not"emerge"again.”2""Evans’s"findings"both"
shaped"and"mirrored"Modernism.""The"women"in"his"restored"frescoes"suggested"fin-de-siécle"
paintings"by"Degas"or"Toulouse"Lautrec.""One"lovely"lady"was"dubbed"“La"Parisienne.”""The"
rebuilt"pillars,"patios,"and"facades"of"Knossos"looked"distinctly"Modernist.""Artists"took"notice.""
Images"of"bulls"in"general"and"the"Minotaur"in"particular"were"among"Picasso’s"most"fruitful"
obsessions,"while"de"Chirico"often"painted"Ariadne"sleeping.""After"fleeing"down"the"
labyrinthine"ways"of"dear,"dirty"Dublin,"Joyce"adopted"that"“lone"artificer”"Daedalus"as"his"
model"of"the"artist"in"exile"and"used"classical"mythology"to"structure"his"novels."To"cite"a"few"
other"authors,"Andre"Gide"wrote"3/"1"@1,"Alain"Robbe-Grilllet,"A(&-/"&%'<.*$(-/,"Anais"Nin,"
B"5@)-$0(&0+&-/"&:$(0-'@*,"and"Umberto"Eco,"3/"&C',"&0+&-/"&D01".""Crete’s"own"Nikos"
Kazantzakis"has"a"novel"entitled"E-&-/"&F'%')"&0+&G(01101.""Poets"like"H."D."(Hilda"Doolittle)"and"
Robert"Graves"found"lifelong"inspiration"in"classical"myths.""Graves’s"3/"&?/$-"&H055"11"urged"
his"fellow"poets"to"invoke"the"Muse"and"supported"feminist"theorists"from"Jane"Ellen"Harrison"
to"Marija"Gimbutas"who"sought"evidence"for"a"time"when"the"Great"Goddess"ruled"supreme.""
Not"surprisingly,"Freud"was"fascinated"by"Crete;"he,"Rank,"Jung,"and"others"found"in"classical"
mythology"rich"support"for"their"theories"about"the"human"psyche."3"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2"Quoted"in"Cathy"Gere,"G(01101&I&-/"&F*0J/"-1&0+&:05"*($1,"(Chicago:"University"of"Chicago"Press,"2009):"47."
3"See,"Theodore"Ziolkowski,":$(01&'(5&:05"*($1,K&4*"-'(&:.-/1&$(&3L"(-$"-/&4"(-@*.&7$-"*'-@*"&'(5&E*-"(N.Y.:"
Oxford"University"Press,"2008)."
6"
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" Over"the"years,"Evans’s"work"at"Crete"has"been"sharply"criticized.""It"appears"that"in"
rebuilding"Knossos"and"interpreting"its"history"he"was"imposing"his"own"Edwardian"notions"of"
how"a"sophisticated"classical"civilization,"with"its"alluring"females"and"charming"boys,"should"
behave"and"look"like.""Furthermore,"the"father-and-son-team"both"named"Emilie"Gillerion"who"
restored"the"figurines"and"painted"the"frescoes"took"liberties"to"fit"their"preconceptions.""In"
fact,"forging"antiquities"became"something"of"a"cottage"industry"in"Crete."The"famed"Snake"
Goddess"at"the"Boston"Museum"is"probably"fraudulent;"several"other"fakes"have"been"
exposed.4""When"the"Cretan"Linear"B"was"finally"deciphered,"it"established,"contrary"to"Evans’s"
assertions,"that"the"Minoan"and"Mycenaean"cultures"were"closely"linked,"with"the"latter"playing"
the"dominant"role.""The"tablets,"which"dealt"with"economic"matters,"not"history"or"literature,"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4"See,"Kenneth"Lapatin,":.1-"*$"1&0+&-/"&B(';"&H055"11K&E*-M&!"1$*"M&'(5&-/"&80*2$(2&0+&=$1-0*."(Boston:"Houghton"
Mifflin,"2002)."
7"
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did"reveal"details"of"Cretan"daily"life.""Interestingly"enough,"one"of"the"translated"titles"was"
“Mistress"of"the"Labyrinth.”5""Although"still"a"hotly"contested"issue,"most"reputable"scholars"of"
the"Neolithic"and"Bronze"Age"periods"do"not"believe"that"there"ever"was"a"matriarchal,"
monotheistic"Great"Goddess,"but"rather"a"pantheon"of"gods"and"goddesses"with"varying"powers"
and"importance"at"different"times"and"places.""The"fact"that"in"Crete"goddesses"were"significant"
does"not"necessarily"mean"that"women"played"especially"prominent"roles"in"their"society.6""
Despite"these"objections"and"complications,"what"is"beyond"dispute"is"that"the"classical"
mythology"of"Crete"retains"its"fascination"and"that"Evans"and"his"followers"did"establish"that"the"
actual"culture"of"Crete,"which"predated"the"mythology,"contained"intriguing"precursors"to"the"
myths,"all"of"which,"to"my"mind,"enhance"their"value"to"a"creative"writer."""
" What,"then,"did"I"find"so"compelling"about"Cretan"culture"and"mythology"that"I"wanted"
to"incorporate"them"as"a"semi-allegorical"substratum"in"my"novel"!"#$%&!'()"*?""I"was"initially"
struck"by"the"realization"that"Theseus"was"the"first"detective,"Ariadne"provided"him"with"the"
first"clue,"and"his"descent"into"the"labyrinth"was"a"symbol"of"the"elusive"search"for"the"truth.""In"
E*-&'(5&E*-$1-,"Otto"Rank"has"suggested"that"the"sacred"labyrinth"originated"in"the"reading"of"
entrails"by"Babylonian"soothsayers,"who"thought"they"could"discern"in"the"intestinal"coils"of"an"
eviscerated"animal"the"secrets"of"life"and"death,"perhaps"even"intimations"of"immortality.""To"
the"Babylonians"the"word"“labyrinth”"meant"“the"palace"of"the"entrails.”7""Rank"argues"that"
mythology"advances"through"various"stages"from"a"focus"on"the"lower"body"and"the"chthonic"
aspects"to"the"chambers"of"the"heart"and"the"convolutions"of"the"cerebral"cortex"and,"finally,"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
5"Margolit"Fox,"3/"&D$55%"&0+&-/"&7'<.*$(-/"(N.Y.:"Ecco,"2013):"283."
6"See,"Lucy"Goodison"and"Christine"Morris,"eds.,"E()$"(-&H055"11"1K&3/"&:.-/1&'(5&6#$5"()""(Madison:"University"
of"Wisconsin"Press,"1999)."
7"Otto"Rank,"E*-&'(5&E*-$1-"(N.Y.:"Alfred"A."Knopf,"1932):"142."
8"
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one"God"on"high.""From"Minotaur"to"Centaur"to"the"all"too"human"gods"of"the"Greeks,"this"
movement"tends"to"replace"matriarchal"earth"goddesses"with"patriarchal"sky"gods.""In"Crete"the"
first"labyrinths"were"probably"in"the"limestone"caves"that"honeycomb"the"island’s"mountains.""
The"palace"at"Knossos"may"have"then"served"as"a"labyrinth—although"a"bull-leaping"ritual"
replaced"the"myth"of"slaying"the"Minotaur."""
" Entering"a"labyrinth"is"related"to"the"reading"of"entrails,"since"both"are"efforts"to"solve"
similar"mysteries.""As"Joseph"Campbell"has"shown"in"3/"&="*0&L$-/&'&3/0@1'(5&8')"1,"a"
standard"pattern"in"mythology"is"for"a"hero"to"receive"a"call"to"adventure,"seek"assistance"from"
an"experienced"older"person,"elude"any"threshold"guardians,"and"undergo"a"succession"of"
ordeals,"including"a"descent"into"a"dark"underworld"where"he"defeats"a"monstrous"opponent,"
enjoys"the"favors"of"a"goddess"figure,"and"returns"at"least"metaphorically"reborn,"with"some"
hard-won"wisdom"to"share"with"his"fellow"human"beings.""Likewise"a"detective"in"the"Raymond"
Chandler"tradition"must"go"down"the"mean"streets"of"a"corrupt"urban"labyrinth"to"discover"
secrets,"confront"the"criminal"elements,"resolve"the"case"as"best"he"can,"and"restore"a"measure"
of"justice.""The"Minotaur"represents"both"conscious"and"unconscious"forces.""Like"the"other"
bulls"in"Cretan"mythology,"he"embodies"erotic"power;"his"potency"puts"women"at"his"mercy"and"
puny"men"to"shame.""His"embrace"is"death.""His"victims,"we"assume,"will"be"ravished"and"then"
devoured.""The"destructive"energies"of"the"id"symbolized"by"the"beast"threaten"us"all.""Bull-
leaping"ingeniously"recreates"an"encounter"with"the"Minotaur.""The"young"men"and"women"
who"perform"the"astonishing"feat"recall"the"Athenians"intended"for"sacrifice,"while"by"literally"
transcending"the"bull’s"lethal"horns"the"performers"act"out"the"life-death-rebirth"ritual"of"
Theseus’s"triumphant"exploit."""
9"
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If"Ariadne"and"the"snake"goddess"are"related,"she"signifies"far"more"than"giving"Theseus"
a"clue"to"the"labyrinth.""Describing"Achilles’s"shield"in"3/"&A%$'5,"Homer"depicts"a"circular"dancing"
area"similar"to"the"one"Daedalus"designed"for"Ariadne"at"Knossos.""Here"“crisscrossing"rows"[of]"
rapturous”"young"men"and"maidens"turn"and"counterturn"in"a"way"Homer"compares"to"a"potter"
spinning"his"wheel.8""Ariadne"was"apparently"the"originator"of"what"was"called"the"Crane"
Dance—probably"because"the"seasonal"migration"of"those"birds"provided"the"time"and"their"
seemingly"choreographed"courtship"the"steps—but"the"winding"and"unwinding"movements"
also"repeat"the"intricate"meanderings"of"the"labyrinth.""Furthermore,"the"word"“chorus”"
connotes"a"“winding"dance”"or"“dancing"place,”"thus"Ariadne’s"dancing"floor"leads"directly"to"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
8"Homer,"3/"&A%$'5,"translated"by"Robert"Fagles"(N.Y.:"Viking,"1990):"486-87."
10"
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the"dithyrambs"and"chorus"of"fifth-century"B.C."Greek"tragedy.9""The"dancers"probably"wished"
to"ecstatically"merge"in"order"to"invoke"an"epiphany"of"the"goddess:"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "
""O"body"swayed"to"music,"O"brightening"glance,""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
" " " How"can"we"tell"the"dancer"from"the"dance?10"
"
The"raised"arms"of"the"goddess,"the"curved"horns"of"the"bull,"the"double-edged"axe,"all"
suggest"the"waxing"and"waning"of"crescent"moons,"and"thus"the"mysteries"of"birth,"life,"death,"
and"re-birth.""Her"exposed"full"breasts"express"her"power,"not"merely"sexual,"but"more"
importantly"as"a"manifestation"of"fertility"and"the"earth’s"bounty.""In"addition"to"the"%'<*.1,"the"
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9"Gere."G(01101&I&-/"&F*0J/"-1&0+&:05"*($1,,"82-83."
10"William"Butler"Yeats,"“Among"School"Children,”"3/"&40%%")-"5&F0",1"(N.Y.:"Macmillan,"1966):"214."
11"
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labyrinth,"and"lustral"baths,"she"is"associated"with"sacred"trees—fig,"olive,"pomegranate—and"
vegetation,"as"well"as"doves,"bees,"lilies,"poppies"(the"Cretans"knew"how"to"extract"opium),"and"
the"world"of"nature—sea,"land,"caves,"peaks,"sky.""Since"agricultural"societies"live"by"seasonal"
cycles"of"planting"and"harvesting"crops"that,"in"effect,"are"born,"die,"and"rise"again,"fertility"
goddesses"are"seen"as"possessing"the"secrets"of"life,"death,"and"immortality.""Like"the"double-
edged"axe"that"can"cut"both"ways,"they"have"the"power"to"blight"or"bless,"to"heal"or"harm.""
Since"they"can"be"either"benign"or"malign,"to"gain"their"good"graces"they"must"be"propitiated.""
In"the"case"of"Ariadne,"whose"name"denotes"holiness"and"purity,"performing"the"Crane"Dance"
and"gift-giving"were"central"to"her"rituals.11"""
" Above"all,"she"is"the"snake"goddess.""Serpents"
are"at"home"in"the"earth,"flow"like"water,"sting"like"
fire,"slough"their"skins,"swallow"their"prey"whole,"
form"coiled"spirals.""While"most"of"their"
connotations"are"disturbing,"some"are"reassuring.""
Due"to"the"Greek"god"of"medicine"Asclepius"and"the"
Caduceus,"serpents"are"credited"with"the"power"of"
healing.""Shedding"the"skin"implies"a"kind"of"
immortality.""They"are"also"seen"as"a"source"of"
wisdom,"of"forbidden"knowledge.""The"oracle"at"
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11"On"Ariadne"on"other"Cretan"goddesses"see,"Charles"F."Herberger,"3/"&3/*"'5&0+&E*$'5("K&3/"&7'<.*$(-/&'(5&-/"&
4'%"(5'*&0+&:$(01"(N.Y.:"Philosophical"Library,"1972);"Arthur"Cotterell,"3/"&:$(0'(&?0*%5"(N.Y.:"Charles"Scribners,"
1979);"Susan"Evasdaughter,"4*"-"&D")%'$,"5K&E&8",$($1-&6NJ%'('-$0(&0+&O*0(P"&E2"&4*"-""(Wymesworld,"England:"
Heart"of"Albion"Press,"1996)."""
12"
"
Delphi"combines"associations"with"the"Omphalos,"the"earth’s"navel,"and"the"Python,"either"slain"
or"tamed"by"Apollo,"and"replaced"by"the"priestess"Pythia.""Philip"Slater"argues"that"the"serpent"
is"“a"symbol"of"change"and"transformation,”"of"“the"boundary"between"life"and"death,"
consciousness"and"unconsciousness,"male"and"female.”""In"sex,"for"example,"“the"boundary"
between"Me"and"Not-Me"crumbles,"since"the"female"is"penetrated"and"part"of"the"male"
disappears"inside"of"another,”"while"in"orgasm"“the"ego"dissolves,"inundated"with"impulse,"and"
this"may"be"experienced"as"a"kind"of"death.”12""Orgasm"as"“the"little"death”"is"captured"by"John"
Donne:"“Wee"dye"and"rise"the"same,"and"prove"/"Mysterious"by"this"love.”13""Thus"“the"male"
fear"of"being"drained"and"devoured"and"the"female"fear"of"being"penetrated"and"poisoned—
receive"expression"in"the"myths"and"activities"of"serpentine"life.”14""
Although"snakes"can"be"seen"as"phallic"symbols,"their"wider"gender"connotations"are"
often"more"feminine"and"threatening.""Ariadne"has"many"sisters:"Medusa,"Hera,"Athena,"Eve,"
and"Cleopatra"are"all"associated"with"serpents,"whose"slithering"movements"do"not"suggest"an"
erect"penis,"but"rather"the"allure"and"latent"challenge"women"present"to"men.""In"the"Garden"of"
Eden"story,"Eve"has"an"affinity"with"the"serpent"and"the"fruitful"tree—two"fundamental"symbols"
of"the"goddess.""Furthermore,"her"birth"from"Adam’s"rib,"reminiscent"of"Athena"as"the"
brainchild"of"Zeus,"is"a"clear"indication"that"the"tale"has"a"patriarchal"agenda,"compelling"a"
fertility"goddess"to"yield"her"power"to"God"the"father.""When"Ariadne"gives"Theseus"the"clue"to"
the"labyrinth,"she"may"well"be"forfeiting"her"own"divinity"to"the"Athenian"hero,"who"takes"
charge"of"the"situation"to"her"ultimate"detriment"and"death.""The"result"of"these"insidious"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
12"Philip"E."Slater,"3/"&H%0*.&0+&="*'K&H*"";&:.-/0%02.&'(5&-/"&H*"";&8',$%."(Boston:"Beacon"Press,"1968):"86."
13"John"Donne,"“The"Canonization,”"3/"&6%"2$"1&'(5&-/"&B0(21&'(5&B0(("-1&0+&Q0/(&!0((","edited"by"Helen"Gardner"
(Oxford:"The"Clarendon"Press,"1965):"74."
14"Slater,"H%0*.&0+&="*'M&91."
13"
"
myths"is"that""“woman"who"was"the"inspirer,"became"the"temptress;"she"who"made"all"things,"
gods"and"mortals"alike,"is"become"their"plaything,"their"slave,"dowered"only"with"physical"
beauty,"and"with"a"slave’s"tricks"and"blandishments.”15""Thus"the"goddess"Ariadne"has"become"
Anna"Crane,"the"+",,"&+'-'%""of"my"novel"!"#$%&!'()"*."""
""""Signature(
" To"illustrate"how"I"put"my"personal"signature"on"!"#$%&!'()"*"I"want"to"discuss"four"
archetypal"motifs:""The"detective"Wendell"Clay’s"labyrinthine"investigation,"Anna’s"goddess-like"
power"over"men,"Devil"Dancer’s"beauty"and"potency,"and"the",","(-0&,0*$"intimations"that"
haunt"us"all.""Rather"than"trace"these"motifs"separately,"I"will"show"how"they"interact"as"the"plot"
unfolds.""Keeping"the"reader’s"patience"in"mind,"this"method"must"be"selective"rather"than"
definitive,"while"demonstrating"how"densely"interwoven"these"strands"are"in"my"verbal"
tapestry.""Do"the"mythic"underpinnings"of"!"#$%&!'()"*"enhance"the"book’s"value?""Hemingway"
once"said"a"good"story"presents"the"reader"with"the"tip"of"the"iceberg,"implying"that"what"lies"
beneath,"although"unstated,"can"add"resonance"to"a"work,"especially"if"those"lower"levels"are"
semi-sensed"rather"than"fully"analyzed.""Yet"in"what"follows"I"plan"to"be"more"explicit,"calling"
attention"to"archetypal"aspects"that"inspired"my"writing"of"this"novel.""My"intention"was"never"
to"reproduce"mythic"material"literally,"but"rather"to"be"ironic"about"it"and"play"contemporary"
variations"on"classical"themes."""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
15"Jane"Ellen"Harrison,"quoted"in"Gere,"G(01101&I&-/"&F*0J/"-1&0+&:05"*($1,,"89."
14"
"
" “After"his"wife"left,"Wendell"had"trouble"sleeping.”16""This"understated"opening"to"!"#$%&
!'()"*&suggests"that"Wendell"Clay,"a"middle-aged"man,"is"in"the"midst"of"a"crisis"that"is"based,"
in"part,"on"his"failed"relationships"with"women.""While"Theseus"was"a"womanizer,"Wendell’s"
two"marriages"have"ended"in"divorce"and"he"has"recently"become"a"detective"on"the"dubious"
assumption"that"having"“botched"up"his"own"life…he"might"be"able"to"straighten"out"the"lives"of"
others”"(5).""He"does"have"“an"inborn"sense"of"curiosity"and"fair"play”"(5),"and"he"hopes"that"the"
labyrinthine"search"of"going"“door"to"door"talking"to"people”"might"help"him"discover"“the"
meaning"of"things”"(5).""Our"initial"impression"of"Wendell"is"not"especially"favorable.""He"drinks"
too"much"and"indulges"in"sexual"fantasies,"masturbating"to"Ann"Margaret"dancing"in"a"“stupid"
movie”"(8)"and"dreaming"about"“the"Naked"Hitchhiker”"(6),"two"tawdry"avatars"of"the"goddess."""
When"his"alarm"sounds,"he"accidentally"knocks"his"gun"off"his"nightstand,"causing"it"to"fire;"then"
he"cuts"himself"while"shaving.""The"bungling"anti-hero"who"needs"to"get"his"act"together"is"a"
conventional"type"in"crime"fiction.""As"the"novel"progresses,"Wendell"becomes"more"
individualized"and"sympathetic,"yet"remains"a"very"ironic"Theseus."""
" Appropriately"enough,"on"the"radio"Wendell"listens"to"Mick"Jagger"whining"about"his"
lack"of"satisfaction"and"then"is"puzzled"by"a"Neil"Young"lyric—“Don’t"let"it"bring"you"down"/"It’s"
only"castles"burning""/"Just"find"someone"who’s"turning"/"And"you"will"come"around”—that"
foreshadows"the"labyrinth"theme.""When"news"of"the"shooting"of"Devil"Dancer"comes"on,"
Wendell"is"stunned;"he"had"seen"that"magnificent"horse"win"at"the"track"and"he"knew"what"the"
murder"of"a"prize"stallion"would"mean"in"Lexington,"the"heart"of"the"Kentucky"Bluegrass"region.""
After"a"hasty"breakfast,"Wendell"scans"yesterday’s"atrocities"in"the"headlines"of"the"7"N$(2-0("
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
16"William"Heath,"!"#$%&!'()"*"(Shepherdstown,"WV:"Somondoco"Press,"2013):"3.""Subsequent"quotations"will"be"
cited"parenthetically"by"page"in"the"essay."
15"
"
="*'%5:"the"war"in"Vietnam,"a"local"murder,"political"turmoil,"a"jailing"for"fraud,"farmers"killing"
hogs"to"avoid"the"spread"of"cholera,"and,"most"pertinent"of"all,"“U."K."DRAMA"PROF"DIES"IN"
FALL”"(9),"with"its"sly"allusion"to"the"birth"of"tragedy.""All"of"these"headlines"are"accurate"to"the"
late"summer"day"in"1972"when"!"#$%&!'()"*&begins,"while"introducing"motifs"of"fragility"and"
mortality"that"pervade"the"novel.""Wendell"then"watches"his"cat"eat"a"mouse.17""Based"on"
personal"observation,"the"description"is"realistic"and"symbolic.""The"gristly"details"serve"to"
remind"us"that"Wendell"at"his"best"is"a"“private"eye”"who"sees"with"poetic"precision.""The"cat"
gobbles"everything"except"“the"small"green"intestinal"coil…twisted"like"a"question"mark”"(10),"
which"it"leaves"to"one"side—an"image"that"evokes"our"own",","(-0&,0*$"fears"as"well"as"the"
Babylonian"origins"of"the"sacred"labyrinth.""
"A"World"War"II"and"Korea"veteran,"who"“had"seen"too"much"of"mud"and"blood"and"good"
men"dead”"(10),"Wendell"is"haunted"by"images"of"death"and"when"drunk"capable"of"firing"his"
gun"at"random"targets.""His"plan"is"to"drive"out"to"Sycamore"Springs"farm"and"offer"his"services"
to"Brad"Davis,"owner"of"Devil"Dancer.""Because"the"battery"of"his"Mercury"Cougar"has"died,"he"
asks"Anna"Crane,"exiting"a"nearby"apartment,"for"her"jumper"cables.""“Holding"a"loop"in"each"
hand"like"a"pair"of"slim"snakes,"she"walked"toward"him"smiling"as"if"she"knew"a"secret”"(12).""
Wendell"notices"“something"exotic"about"the"way"she"wore"her"hair”"(12);"indeed,"the"upraised"
serpents"and"the"long"dark"strand"dangling"before"each"ear"hint"that"Ariadne"is"in"Kentucky.""
Like"a"goddess"figure,"Anna"makes"her"power"felt"immediately,"and"Wendell’s"Cougar"growls"
back"to"life.""Robert"Graves"stated"that"if"one"was"seeking"“a"single,"simple,"inclusive"name"for"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
17"The"snake"goddess"had"a"cat"perched"on"her"head"and"cats"reappear"as"a"leitmotif"in"the"novel."
16"
"
the"Great"Goddess,"Anna"is"the"best"choice,”18"and"Ariadne"was"known"for"the"Crane"Dance.""To"
initiates,"Anna"Crane"might"appear"too"obvious"a"name,"but"to"the"average"reader"these"
allusions"remain"esoteric,"unrecognized."Giving"Anna"a"hairdo"similar"to"the"women"of"Crete,"
but"also"possible"in"1972,"enhances"her"appearance."""
" In"the"ensuing"conversation"it"is"clear"that"Wendell"is"attracted"to"Anna,"while"she"
remains"elusive.""Befitting"a"vegetation"goddess,"she"says"“I"feel"all"droopy"when"my"plants"die”"
(13),"and"laments"the"death"of"Devil"Dancer,"“That"was"some"horse”"(13),"praise"that"will"be"
repeated"with"variations"by"the"thoroughbred’s"many"admirers"in"the"novel.""It"seems"that"Anna"
has"worked"for"Brad"Davis"as"a"“hot"walker,”"a"term"that"captures"her"sex"appeal"while"referring"
to"the"actual"job"of"walking"a"racehorse"after"a"workout"until"he"cools"off.""Anna"also"tells"
Wendell,"“Horses"sense"who"you"really"are"inside”"(14),"and,"“People"have"more"power"than"
they"realize”"(15),"remarks"that"suggest"an"occult"dimension.""From"the"first,"Anna"both"attracts"
and"baffles"Wendell,"who"feels"drawn"to"her"in"spite"of"being"unsure"of"himself."""
" Wendell,"echoing"Theseus,"was"from"Athens,"Kentucky,"(locally"pronounced"A-thins)"and"
had"spent"most"of"his"life"in"Lexington.""His"high"school"football"buddy"Brad"Davis"was"part"of"
the"upper-crust"horsey"set"and"married"into"more"wealth,"including"the"thousand"acre"
Sycamore"Springs.""Devil"Dancer"showed"astonishing"speed"before"breaking"his"coffin"bone"in"
the"Kentucky"Derby.""“Miraculously,"he"recovered"and"was"retired"to"stud”"(19).""Although"
horse"farms"consist"of"“an"intricate"maze"of"board"fences”"(21),"the"layout"of"Sycamore"Springs"
was"distinctive:"“A"bird’s"eye"view"of"all"those"looping"labyrinthine"ways"would"present"an"
amazing"design,"contrasting"sharply"with"the"more"linear"grid"of"the"neighboring"horse"farms”"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
18"Robert"Graves,"3/"&?/$-"&H055"11"(N.Y.:"Farrar,"Straus"and"Cudahy,"Inc.,"1948):"307."
17"
"
(22).""What"the"bull"meant"to"Crete,"the"thoroughbred"means"to"Kentucky.""The"heads"of"mares"
and"stallions"appeared"on"Cretan"Linear"B,"and"someone,"possibly"Ariadne,"was"named"
“Mistress"of"the"Horses.”19""Another"goddess"of"horses"was"Demeter,"fathered"by"Poseidon"in"
the"form"of"a"stallion.""Usually"identified"with"the"sea,"“he"was"also"a"horse"god"and"a"god"of"
springs,”"hence"Sycamore"Springs.""In"some"versions,"Theseus"claimed"descent"from"Poseidon.20""
" In"a"reversal"of"detective"genre"conventions,"Wendell"begs"Brad"to"put"him"on"the"case.""
And"he"starts"out"badly,"“stumbling"in"circles”"(25)"with"three"cops"without"finding"“any"clues”"
(27).""The"crime"is"bizarre"and"the"quest"to"solve"it"quickly"becomes"circumvoluted.""From"
talking"with"Brad,"Wendell"uncovers"five"basic"possibilities:"that"it"was"the"act"of"a"psychopath,"
or"of"a"disgruntled"worker"who"had"been"fired,"or"of"a"rival"in"the"thoroughbred"business,"or"of"
someone"who"wanted"to"hurt"Brad’s"wife"Charlene"or"his"daughter"Lily.""Finally"it"might"be"a"
mob"hit"that"would"render"Brad"unable"to"pay"his"Las"Vegas"gambling"debts"and"thus"his"
forfeited"farm"would"become"a"Mafia"front.""“You"breed"the"best"to"the"best"and"hope"for"the"
best,”"Brad"explains"to"Wendell.""“Then"one"day,"if"you’re"lucky,"a"great"horse"comes"along"who"
can"race"a"hole"in"the"wind.""Devil"Dancer"was"that"horse"for"me”"(29).""The"catch"is"that"the"
entire"enterprise"was"dependent"upon"the"proven"potency"of"one"thoroughbred."""""""""
""""""""""During"his"quest"to"solve"the"case,"frequently"Wendell"is"sidetracked"or"encounters"a"dead"
end."""Yet"these"diversions"are"not"distractions,"rather"they"contain"stories"that"are"the"lifeblood"
of"the"novel.""Wendell’s"journey"matters"at"least"as"much"as"his"arrival.""Certainly"this"is"true"of"
his"visits"to"the"Mecca"Bar,"a"real"place"which,"as"its"name"implies,"is"at"the"center"of"the"plot.""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
19"Fox,"D$55%"&0+&-/"&7'<.*$(-/,"283."
20"Mary"E."Voyatzis,"“From"Athena"to"Zeus,”"in"Goodison"and"Morris,"E()$"(-&H055"11"1,"142-43;"Herberger,"3/*"'5&
0+&E*$'5("M"92,"95."
18"
"
There"he"meets"with"Conor"Maguire,"an"old"alcoholic"pickpocket"who"is"Wendell’s"guide"to"the"
criminal"underworld.""The"Mecca"Bar"is"also"where"Ed"“Bull”"Fuller"plays"pool;"this"giant"of"a"
man,"who"Conor"says"“would"just"as"soon"kill"you"as"look"at"you”"(50),"is"of"course"the"Minotaur"
that"Wendell"eventually"will"have"to"confront."""
" Wendell’s"prime"suspect"is"Grady"Shifflet,"recently"fired"by"Davis"and"a"regular"at"the"
Mecca"Bar.""Conor"knows"Grady"to"be"a"pathetic"drifter,"a"drunken"three-time"loser"who"
dabbles"in"drugs.""His"recent"absence"from"the"bar"is"suspicious.""Wendell"doubts"if"he"would"be"
capable"of"shooting"Devil"Dancer,"but"he’d"like"to"talk"to"him.""Conor’s"best"stories"evoke"his"
prime"years"as"a"pickpocket,"when"he"was"known"as"Kid"Whiz.""One"of"the"last"of"the"old"timers,"
his"tales"are"laced"with"the"argot"of"his"illicit"craft.21""“Whenever"he"spoke"he"signed"his"name,”"
Wendell"realizes.""“Nobody"would"talk"that"way"again”"(42).""The"most"relevant"information"he"
provides"Wendell"is"that"Brad"Davis"once"had"an"affair"with"Sally,"an"exotic"dancer"and"key"
member"of"Conor’s"whiz"mob.""Conor’s"rambling"tales,"salted"with"“shamrock"malarkey”"(41),"
are"savvy"about"the"world"of"alcoholics—“All"these"winos"want…a"better"piece"of"ass…."Only"
these"guys"know"they"can’t"get"it:"they’re"too"old,"too"ugly,"too"mean”"(45)—and"the"lost"art"of"
picking"pockets—“Nobody"has"any"finesse,"no"style…."It"was"a"joy"to"watch,"how"smooth"it"
could"be!”"(49).""Conor’s"lament"on"the"disappearance"of"whiz"mob"aesthetics"offers"wry"
commentary"on"a"larger"decline"of"values."
" Decadence"is"the"focus"of"the"next"chapter.""Driving"up"Limestone"Street"to"Grady’s"last"
known"address,"Wendell"notes"signs"of"decline.""Soon"the"old"Lexington"he"loved"would"be"“as"
lost"as"Atlantis”"(52).""His"plight"is"mirrored"by"the"image"of"“an"elderly"man"in"a"blood-stained"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
21"See,"David"W."Maurer,"3/"&?/$P&:0<"(New"Haven,"CT:"College"and"University"Press,"1964)."
19"
"
apron"[sweeping]"up"a"glittering"puzzle"of"glass"slivers"from"his"store-front"window”"(52).""
Grady’s"crumbling"building,"with"its"semi-comatose"geezer"on"the"porch,"epitomizes"the"decay.""
His"room"is"a"study"in"the"detritus"of"one"man’s"existence.""Entropy"rules;"everything"is"falling"
apart.""Wendell’s"unflinching"view"is"obscured"by"a"torn"window"shade"and"a"“dark"pile"of"dead"
bugs”"in"the"ceiling"lamp;"he"is"repelled"by"the"stench"of"musty"furniture,"unwashed"dishes,"
spilled"trash,"and"a"toilet"that"won’t"flush.""Several"images"allude"to"the"labyrinth:"a"tipped"over"
sofa"with"a"spring"“coiling"out"like"an"intestinal"secret”"(55-56),"a"fly"trapped"between"window"
and"screen"“who"had"forgotten"that"the"way"out"is"the"way"in”"(56),"and"the"“intricate"webs”"of"
“hairy-legged"spiders”"in"the"closet"which"Wendell"inspects"“as"if"searching"for"an"answer”"(56).""
Juxtaposed"to"the"desolation"are"a"pair"of"ironically"uplifting"posters:"Jesus"walking"on"water"
and"a"goddess-like"Sophia"Loren"“rising"from"the"sea"in"a"black"blouse"that"clung"to"her"breasts”"
(56).""The"scant"evidence"that"Grady"once"lived"there"consists"of"empty"liquor"bottles,"“burnt-
out"matches,"and"a"blackened"spoon”"(55)"from"his"drug"use,"plus"“a"curlicue"of"grey"hair”"on"
the"pillow.""Like"a"true"detective,"Wendell"does"discover"murder"most"foul.""At"the"bottom"of"
the"garbage"can"he"finds"“two"dead"mice,"both"with"broken"necks”"(57).""The"whole"search"fills"
Wendell"with"nausea"and"disgust.""He"has"found"nothing"of"value"to"solve"the"case,"yet"he"has"
exposed"disturbing"truths"about"how"a"person’s"life"can"collapse."""
"Wendell"ventures"to"the"black"side"of"town"to"locate"Vietnam"veterans"Russell"Williams"
and"Julian"Harrison,"recently"fired"by"Davis.""At"Russell’s"“shotgun”"house"Wendell"starts"out"on"
the"wrong"foot"and"is"given"the"run-around.""Russell"is"a"bitter"man—“Stateside"is"bullshit,"man.""
Robots"ripping"off"zombies.""What"these"creeps"need"is"a"good"firefight"to"open"their"eyes"and"
pucker"their"assholes”"(63).""He"takes"offense"at"being"a"suspect"in"the"shooting"of"Devil"
20"
"
Dancer—“That"was"a"fine"horse”"(64).""This"dead"end"adds"to"Wendell’s"frustration;"to"find"out"
what"he"needs"to"know,"he"will"have"to"be"more"tactful.""From"his"car"he"observes"three"black"
girls"“dancing"in"a"ring”"and"singing"“Ashes,"ashes,"we"all"fall"down”"(67),"an"old"nursery"rhyme"
whose",","(-0&,0*$"message,"under"the"circumstances,"is"poignant."""
" Wendell"fares"better"with"Eddie"Orleans,"aka"“Money,”"a"smooth"operator"he"has"
known"since"high"school.""Money"is"“a"jack-of-all"trades"(some"said"a"man-of-all-cons),”"who"
lends"cash"“at"a"reasonable"interest”"(67)"and"is"a"central"figure"in"the"community.""If"anyone"
can"find"where"Julian"lives,"it"is"Money,"who"enjoys"teasing"Wendell"about"his"job—“every"night"
he"sleep"on"satin"sheets"with"a"different"woman”"(68)—while"the"sordid"reality"consists"of"
tedious"stakeouts"and"sleazy"divorce"cases.""Erotic"notes"are"sounded"in"this"chapter"as"two"
attractive"women"saunter"by"and"banter"with"Money,"who"declares"that"what"they"want"is"
“finance,"not"romance.""Me,"I"want"%0#"”"(70).""Lexington,"he"tells"Wendell,"“is"a"nice-nasty"
town,"dependin’"on"who"you"is"an’"who"you"know"an’"what"color"yo"skin"happen"to"be”(72)."
When"it"comes"to"the"ladies,"he"assures"Wendell"that"they"both"are"“masters”"not"“riff-raff”"
(72),"urging"him"to"move"downtown"where"the"action"is.""Wendell"doesn’t"feel"like"a"master;"he"
is"exhausted"by"the"futility"of"his"first"day"on"the"case"and"reminded"of"what"a"friend"recently"
told"him,"comparing"his"life"to"a"labyrinthine"golf"course,"“You’re"on"the"back"nine"now”"(73).""" "
" During"Wendell’s"three"days"on"the"Devil"Dancer"case,"he"ignores"a"series"of"“clues”"
from"his"body—dizzy"spells,"blurred"vision,"arm"pain,"splitting"headaches.""He"does"take"a"late"
afternoon"nap,"but"then"feels"compelled"to"knock"on"Anna’s"door,"where"he"finds"an"enigmatic"
note:"“Gone"hunting"Don”"(74),"a"veiled"allusion"to"Theseus’s"rival"Dionysius.""Anna’s"
appearance"wrapped"in"a"towel"catches"Wendell"so"off"guard"that"he"blurts"out,"“You"were"
21"
"
taking"a"shower,”"to"which"Anna"teasingly"replies,"“What"gave"you"your"first"clue?”"(75).""The"
key"to"understanding"Wendell"in"his"encounters"with"Anna"is"that"normally"he"is"a"relatively"
mature"man,"experienced"with"women,"but"at"this"particular"moment"in"his"life"he"is"vulnerable"
both"physically"and"emotionally.""Ironically,"both"problems"are"centered"in"his"heart.""With"Anna"
he"regresses"to"a"boyish"awkwardness"that"is"not"without"charm,"while"her"sexual"expertise"and"
indecipherable"personality"keep"him"off"balance.""Often"played"for"pathos,"“Ariadne"is"an"
intensely"erotic"figure”22"for"Catullus,"and"that"certainly"is"what"Anna"is"to"Wendell.""Like"a"
goddess,"she"has"the"power"to"grant"or"deny"wishes,"to"give"or"withhold"her"favors."""
" Ariadne"would"have"been"at"home"in"Anna’s"apartment,"replete"with"plants,"flowers,"
cats,"and"birds,"including"a"cooing"dove"(Ariadne"was"a"Dove"Goddess).""“The"black"horns"of"a"
bull"were"nailed"on"the"wall"above"a"painting"of"a"matador"being"tossed"over"a"bull’s"head.”""A"
poster"of"“stone"columns"by"a"sea"of"cobalt"blue”"is"captioned"“Off"to"Crete!”"(76).""The"shower"
curtain"depicts"a"“swirling"underwater"world”"(77)"and"a"blue"towel"sports"“a"dolphin"design”"
(79).""Ariadne"was"associated"with"lustral"baths.""When"Anna"makes"an"ambiguous"offer"to"
share"her"shower,"Wendell"quickly"complies.""In"most"crime"fiction,"escapist"fantasies"are"the"
norm,"wish"fulfillment"shower"scenes"a"convention.""In"contrast,"I"make"the"scene"as"realistic"as"
possible—given"who"they"are,"what"both"do"is"credible—while"hinting"at"Anna’s"role"as"an"
avatar"of"Ariadne,"also"known"as"the"Poppy"Goddess,"who"inspired"opiate-induced"ecstatic"
experiences.""Thus"it"is"fitting"that"Anna"teaches"Wendell"how"to"smoke"cannabis"and"that"her"
erotic"power"has"a"profound"effect.""“Despite"all"his"years"of"sexual"activity,"Wendell"had"never"
experienced"anything"so"intense"before”"(82).""Anna"is"matter-of-fact"about"her"skills—“I"know"I"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
22"Barbara"Pavlock,"6*01M&A,$-'-$0(M&'(5&-/"&6J$)&3*'5$-$0("(Ithica,"N.Y.:"Cornell"University"Press,"1990):"117."
22"
"
give"good"head,"but"don’t"take"it"too"seriously,"OK?”""Like"a"goddess,"she"acts"instinctively,"
“There’s"no"why"about"it”"(82).""
" Taking"things"to"heart"and"striving"to"answer"perplexing"questions,"however,"are"two"of"
Wendell’s"most"admirable"traits.""When"he"awakes"in"Anna’s"apartment"the"next"morning,"
Wendell"asks"himself,"“What"had"the"previous"night"meant"to"her?”"(88),"and"struggles"to"
analyze"his"own"conflicted"emotions,"which"are"reminiscent"of"Catullus’s"poem—“I"love"and"I"
hate"/"and"if"you"ask"me"why"/"I"can"not"tell"you"/"yet"I"feel"acute"agony”"(my"translation)."""Anna"
is"bad"news,"but"Wendell"knows"that"“he"would"be"back"at"her"door"begging"for"more”"(89).""He"
realizes"that"the"“male"and"female"question"was"not"only"more"complex"than"he"thought,"it"was"
more"complex"than"he")0@%5"think”"(89).""Thus"Anna"becomes"for"him"an"alternative"mystery"to"
the"crime"he"is"hired"to"investigate.""He"searches"her"apartment"for"“further"clues"to"her"true"
identity”"(89),"finding"some"photos"that"showed"she"once"posed"in"the"nude"and"had"been"to"
England.""As"to"why"someone"would"shoot"Devil"Dancer,"Wendell"speculates"that"rational"
thought"alone"would"prove"inadequate"to"solve"so"irrational"a"crime."""
" Wendell"returns"to"the"Mecca"Bar,"but"neither"Conor"nor"Grady"is"there.""Instead,"the"
bartender"relates"how"he"killed"a"robber"and"was"almost"fatally"shot"himself.""If"the"bullet"had"
hit"a"vital"organ,"“there’s"somebody"else"here"pouring"your"beer”"(95)."":","(-0&,0*$"tales"
also"dominate"the"next"chapter"in"which"Wendell"talks"with"Julian"Harrison.""As"former"Marines"
they"establish"a"rapport"based"on"mutual"respect.""Julian"returned"from"Vietnam"with"“a"
monkey"on"my"back"that"woulda"made"King"Kong"feel"small”"(98);"he"and"Russell"were"fired"
because"they"had"their"eyes"on"the"farm’s"drug"lab,"but"he"certainly"didn’t"kill"Devil"Dancer.""“I"
get"down"on"a"dude,"I"don’t"shoot"his"horse:"that’s"the"kinda"symbolic"shit"honkies"is"into”"(99),"
23"
"
a"remark"Wendell"finds"worth"pondering.""Julian’s"war"stories,"featuring"senselessly"random"
killings,"cause"Wendell"to"recall"a"horrific"event"he"had"witnessed:"the"mass"suicide"of"Japanese"
people"at"Marpi"Point"in"Saipan.""The"tales"both"men"tell,"which"are"based"on"true"accounts,"
capture"appalling"aspects"of"war,"where"soldier"and"civilian"alike"are"at"the"mercy"of"lethal"
events"beyond"their"control,"such"as"the"atomic"explosions"that"ended"the"conflict"in"the"Pacific"
at"the"cost"of"tens"of"thousands"of"innocent"lives.""At"the"time,"Wendell"was"relieved"the"bombs"
were"dropped—otherwise"he"might"well"have"died"during"the"invasion"of"Japan.""For"his"part,"
Julian"prophecies"a"dark"future"ahead:"“Things"is"gonna"turn"upside"down"an’"all"around"then,"I"
can"see"that"plain,"but"my"black"people"are"gonna"come"out"all"right.""Whitey,"I"don’t"know"
about.""He’s"gotta"learn"to"live"in"the"dark,"an’"I"don’t"think"he"can”"(105)."
" Wendell"wonders"if"his"conversations"so"far"have"been"fruitless"diversions,"“luring"him"in"
the"wrong"directions”"(107).""He"makes"labyrinthine"allusions"to"the"“hunter"who"tracked"the"
black"bear"and"discovered"Mammoth"Cave”"and"to"Daniel"Boone"denying"that"he’d"ever"been"
lost"in"the"Kentucky"forests,"“but"I"was"<"L$%5"*"5&for"three"days”"(107).""When"he"interviews"
his"old"friend"Cliff"Hargis,"he"believes"he’s"found"a"promising"path.""Cliff"had"been"in"charge"of"
the"breeding"shed"at"Sycamore"Springs.""What"he"tells"Wendell"is"packed"with"pertinent"
information"about"Davis’s"stud"farm"business"and"Devil"Dancer,"“the"equine"American"dream”"
(109),"an"impressively"potent"stallion"who"commanded"top"fees.""In"Cliff’s"account,"Devil"Dancer"
becomes"a"character,"“a"very"spirited"individual,”"with"a"distinctive"personality.""“Hot"bloods"are"
high"strung"by"nature,”"Cliff"says,"depending"on"his"mood"the"horse"could"be"extremely"difficult"
to"handle"or"“playful"as"a"puppy”"(111).""When"impregnating"a"mare,"he"was"dangerously"
aggressive.""“We"needed"six"men"to"help"him"do"his"job,”"and"they"had"to"use"“the"big"roll,"a"
24"
"
kind"of"padded"rolling"pin"that"was"positioned"between"a"prodigiously"endowed"stallion"and"the"
mare’s"vagina"to"limit"penetration”"(110-11).""Like"the"sacred"bulls"of"Crete,"Devil"Dancer"was"
potency"personified,"and"his"yearlings"were"in"high"demand."""
" Davis,"however,"was"a"compulsive"gambler"“deeper"in"debt"than"even"/""thinks,”"Cliff"
confides.""“Brad"was"up"to"his"eyes"in"quicksand"and"he"thought"Devil"Dancer"could"pull"him"
out”"(112).""To"raise"the"cash"he"desperately"needed,"Davis"secretly"sold"shares"in"his"stallion—
“that"horse"was"as"highly"leveraged"as"junk"bonds”"(112)—and"he"“began"to"extend"the"book,”"
overbreeding"Devil"Dancer"until"“his"heart"wasn’t"in"it"anymore…."He"had"become"a"shy"breeder"
who"couldn’t"raise"his"stick”"(113).""Among"the"“silent"partners”"(112)"in"the"scheme"was"a"man"
named"John"Lane,"who"obviously"had"underworld"connections.""“What"a"tangled"web"we"
weave,”"Wendell"thinks.""“Why"had"Davis"hired"him"in"the"first"place"if"he"had"so"much"to"
hide?”"(114-15).""Cliff"had"falsely"assumed"that"Wendell"was"investigating"his"own"client,"but"
now"he"has"learned"information"that"casts"Davis"in"a"suspicious"light."""
"At"Sycamore"Springs,"Wendell"admits"that"he"can’t"find"a"motive:"“What"was"there"to"
2'$("by"killing"a"horse"like"that?”"(119).""The"conventional"detective"in"a"crime"novel"confronts"a"
chaotic"situation"but"in"the"final"chapter"restores"order"to"the"world.""But"what"if"“randomness"
ruled”"(118),"nothing"made"sense,"and"no"solution"was"possible?""Oblivious"to"philosophical"
speculations,"Davis"demands"that"whatever"Wendell"discovers"is"brought"to"him"first:"“Let’s"just"
say"that"if"you"find"him,"justice"will"be"done”"(120).""" "
Wendell"then"interviews"Davis’s"wife"and"daughter"to"see"if"either"has"an"enemy"who"
might"have"shot"Devil"Dancer"to"gain"revenge.""Charlene"and"Lily"play"cameo"roles"in"the"novel"
25"
"
and,"in"contrasting"manners,"their"presence"is"immediately"felt.""Each,"in"her"own"way,"is"an"
avatar"of"the"goddess.""Kentucky,"the"joke"goes,"is"the"home"of"fast"women"and"beautiful"
horses.""Charlene"is"“the"centerpiece"of"the"entire"horsey"set…."When"she"was"at"a"party,"the"
idea"of"high"society"seemed"to"be"mankind’s"most"inspired"invention”"(121-22).""The"epitome"of"
jaded"sophistication,"Charlene"enchants"Wendell"while"assuring"him,"“Anyone"who"wanted"to"
hurt"me"would"know"that"killing"Devil"Dancer"wouldn’t"be"the"way"to"do"it”"(124).""Months"
before,"on"an"earlier"case,"Wendell"assured"Davis"that"his"wife"was"not"cheating;"but"now,"after"
she"confides"in"him,"he"doubts"whether"“her"flirtations"had"stopped"at"a"few"stolen"kisses”"
(125).""Sensing"his"suspicions,"she"wryly"replies,"“I’m"afraid"my"reputation"for"decadence"is"on"
the"wane”"(125).""The"“vaguely"conspiratorial”"(127)"gaze"they"exchange"in"parting"gives"
Wendell"the"feeling"he’s"a"knight"on"a"mission."""
" If"Charlene’s"“splendid"performance”"(126)"may"have"deceived"Wendell,"Lily"disarms"
him"with"her"candor.""A"vivacious"college"sophomore,"Lily"has"drawn"unwanted"attention"from"
some"of"her"Transylvania"University"classmates.""She"is"sensitive"and"intelligent"and"speaks"her"
mind.""Although"her"bluntness"may"have"given"offense,"and"“Transy"has"its"share"of"oddballs”"
(130),"Wendell"doubts"if"the"case"has"anything"to"do"with"her.""He"is"touched,"however,"by"how"
her"feelings"of"complicity"in"her"mother’s"death"from"a"stroke"have"scarred"her"young"life;"and"
he"notes"with"interest"her"inadvertent"slip"that"she"is"having"an"affair"with"a"Transy"professor"
named"Tom.23""At"the"end"of"their"conversation,"Lily"provides"an"important"clue—she"recently"
saw"her"father"being"threatened"by"John"Lane"and"two"thugs."""
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
23"Tom"Morton"was"one"of"the"two"narrators"of"my"novel"3/"&4/$%5*"(&O0<&:01"1&7"5.""In"the"“Afterword"1972”"to"
that"novel"we"learn"that"he"teaches"in"the"English"Department"at"Transylvania"University."""
26"
"
" From"questioning"Davis,"Wendell"identifies"one"of"the"intimidating"henchmen"as"Ed"
“Bull”"Fuller.""In"response"to"Lane’s"veiled"threats,"Davis"promised"to"pay"his"debt.""He"boasts"
that"gambling"is"in"his"blood:"“Luck"is"a"lady"and"she"don’t"favor"the"faint"of"heart,"no"sir.""
You’ve"got"to"show"her"you’re"all"man”"(137).""“Kentucky"thrives"on"vice”"(137),"he"tells"
Wendell,"and"they"recall"boyhood"trips"to"the"“seedy"clip"joints"and"strip"clubs”"of"Newport,"
known"in"those"days"as"Sin"City,"“the"biggest"gambling"center"in"the"country"east"of"Las"Vegas”"
(138).""How"the"mob"took"over"the"town,"across"the"Ohio"from"Cincinnati,"is"recounted"in"lively,"
historically"accurate"detail.""By"the"time"the"action"moved"to"Las"Vegas,"“where"only"the"ersatz"
was"authentic”"(141),"Davis"had"become"a"black-chip"bettor"at"baccarat,"a"high"stakes"game"for"
high"rollers"where"“the"cards"slipped"out"of"the"shoe"like"esoterica"from"an"oracle”"(140).""As"
with"playing"the"horses"at"the"racetrack,"baccarat"was"another"way"of"tempting"fate,"and"for"
Davis"the"most"“giddy"thrill"[was]"losing"it"all”"(140).""Wendell"now"realizes"Davis"is"addicted"to"
gambling;"there"was"“a"real"possibility”"(136)"the"Mafia"shot"Devil"Dancer;"and"it"would"now"be"
his"thankless"job"to"confront"the"mob,"to"descend"into"the"underworld."""
" That"evening,"Wendell"returns"to"Anna’s"apartment:"“What"a"chump"he"was"when"it"
came"to"women!""One"good"blowjob"and"he"was"smitten”"143).""Anna"knows"he"is"under"her"
spell:"“She"had"the"slow"studied"movements"of"a"woman"aware"of"the"power"of"her"body”"
(145).""She"dresses"up"in"Ariadne"fashion:"a"full-length"flounced"skirt,"a"short-sleeved"jacket,"
ornate"jewelry."“Wendell"glanced"at"her"feet"to"see"if"there"were"bells"on"her"toes”"(146).""
Anna’s"conversation"while"they"dine"out"is"both"provocative"and"disturbing.""As"her"stories"
demonstrate,"inviting"Wendell"to"share"her"shower"is"very"much"in"character.""Adopted"by"
wealthy"parents"on"the"Upper"East"Side,"Anna,"on"her"own"since"she"was"a"promiscuous"
27"
"
teenager,"has"been"shaped"by"California"in"the"late"Sixties.""Wendell"is"alarmed"that"she"knew"
Charles"Manson,"who"occasionally"writes"to"her"from"prison.""Anna’s"signature"Sixties"
adventure"is"going"off"to"Mexico"with"Preston,"a"Stanford"dropout"and"wannabe"filmmaker"who"
ends"up"smuggling"drugs"and"dies"of"an"overdose—a"heroin-filled"condom"he"had"swallowed"
breaks"on"his"flight"home.""“The"ultimate"hippie"death”"(152)"Wendell"remarks."
" In"England,"Anna’s"gay"friend"Michael"owned"a"farm"and"fostered"her"love"of"horses.""
She"is"very"aware"of"the"sexual"dynamic:"“I"get"excited"when"I’m"walking"a"stallion.""Have"you"
ever"noticed"those"prim"and"proper"ladies"at"the"track,"how"they"get"all"hot"and"bothered"when"
the"stallions"come"by?”""Wendell"can"only"agree:"“There"L'1"an"erotic"undercurrent"to"the"
world"of"horses”"(153).""Anna’s"credo,"it"seems,"is"“living"out"my"fantasies”"(153).""Although"his"
sympathetic"manner"encourages"Anna"to"talk"of"her"affairs,"increasingly"her"tales"sound"strong"
warning"bells"of"danger"as"Wendell’s"sense"of"dread"competes"with"his"desire.""Like"Ariadne’s"
double-edged"axe,"Anna’s"power"cuts"both"ways."""
" In"response"to"her"request,"“Let’s"go"someplace"funky”"(154),"Wendell"takes"her"to"
Boots"Bar,"a"notorious"Lexington"dive,"featuring"inept"go-go"dancers,"a"foul-mouthed"
announcer,"and"the"upside-down,"left-handed"guitar"playing"and"singing"of"Little"Enis,"aka"“Enis"
the"Penis”"(156).""His"real"name"was"Carlos"Toadvine"and"I"saw"him"perform.24""Boots"Bar"proves"
to"be"one"of"the"darker"corners"of"Wendell’s"labyrinth,"a"place"where"Anna"displays"her"
goddess-like"powers"by"dancing.""Wendell"is"enthralled—“A"beautiful"woman"moving"to"the"
serpentine"rhythms"of"her"own"body"was"his"idea"of"holy”"(158)—as"are"the"drunken"men"in"the"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
24"I"am"indebted"to"Ed"McClanahan"for"first"telling"me"about"Little"Enis.""See"“Little"Enis:"An"Ode"on"the"Intimations"
of"Mortality,”"in"Ed"McClanahanM&8',0@1&F"0J%"&A&='#"&G(0L("(N.Y.:"Farrar"Straus"Giroux,"1985):"115-153."
28"
"
room,"who,"“compelled"by"her"turnings,"began"to"stumble"counterclockwise"in"a"ring"around"
her”"(159).""Near"the"end"of"her"performance"Anna"“lets"her"silken"jacket"fall"to"the"floor…"
[exposing]"her"glistening"breasts”"(159).""Thus"Ariadne’s"Crane"Dance"is"reenacted"on"the"less-
than-sacred"dancing"floor"of"Boot’s"Bar.""This"scene"is"realistic"given"Anna’s"character"and"the"
accurate"depiction"of"place,"while"adding"to"the"mythic"resonance"of"the"novel."""
" Back"in"Anna’s"apartment,"Wendell"reads"a"Charles"Manson"letter,"another"labyrinthine"
experience.""The"incoherent"rush"of"his"prose—“you"lost"your"real"self"your"playing"man"now""&"
lost"your"real"woman"years"ago—the"hole"thing"is"backwards"you"cant"play"new"age"woman"
with"old"age"thoughts”"(162)—gives"Wendell"“a"touch"of"vertigo”"162).""Anna"admits"that"
Manson"has"“a"weird"power,”"as"his"crimes,"which"epitomized"the"evil"underside"of"the"Sixties,"
demonstrated.""Now"Anna"is"at"loose"ends."“Nothing"is"happening.""The"only"excitement"I"get"
out"of"life"is"breezing"around"the"track"on"a"fast"horse—that’s"the"only"thrill"left”"(163).""Taking"
these"words"as"a"challenge,"Wendell"tries"to"rekindle"the"previous"night’s"passion.""He"gives"her"
a"full"body"massage"but"then"she"rejects"his"advances"and"insults"his"manhood,"causing"his"
simmering"emotions"to"boil"over.""“Obeying"some"buried"instinctive"rage"beyond"his"control,"
Wendell"whipped"out"his"arms,"grabbed"Anna"by"the"throat,"and"started"squeezing”"(166).""
Seconds"later"he"releases"his"grip,"Anna"scolds"him,"and"he"finally"achieves"his"“manly"fuck”"
(166).""Wendell"is"baffled"by"his"actions:"“One"minute"I’m"acting"like"an"adolescent"at"the"drive-
in,"then"I’m"the"Boston"Strangler,”"while"for"Anna,"“It’s"no"big"mystery…."Hate"is"the"flip"side"of"
love,"right?”"(167).""Anna’s"remarks"may"be"flippant,"yet"they"imply"darker"truths"about"the"
human"heart."
29"
"
"These"chapters"at"the"end"of"Wendell’s"second"day"on"the"case"expose"his"conflicted"
feelings"for"Anna"and"mark"the"apotheosis"of"the"Ariadne"in"Kentucky"theme.""Anna"has"fulfilled"
her"role"as"a"goddess"figure,"whose"power"disorients"Wendell,"exposes"facets"of"his"character"
he"didn’t"know"were"there,"and"causes"him"to"act"in"ways"he"did"not"think"he"was"capable"of.""
At"the"mercy"of"his"own"desires,"he"has"lost"part"of"his"dignity"and"self-respect.""Whether"he"can"
gain"personal"insight"from"this"“exciting”"experience"remains"to"be"seen.""And"whether"this"
digression"with"Anna"as"Ariadne"helps"or"hinders"him"in"solving"the"case"is"not"yet"clear.""At"this"
point"in"the"novel,"the"question,"“Who"is"Wendell"Clay,"especially"in"relation"to"Anna"Crane?”"
has"become"at"least"as"important"as"“Who"shot"Devil"Dancer?”""
"The"first"chapter"of"Part"III"adds"to"the"story"of"Wendell’s"life,"including"his"boyhood"
memories"of"growing"up"on"the"family"farm,"his"promising"baseball"career,"his"combat"
experience"as"a"Marine"in"two"wars,"and"the"various"working"class"jobs"he’s"held—auto"
assembly"line,"long-haul"truck"driver,"gas"station"owner,"bartender,"chauffeur,"night"watchman,"
painter—before"he"became"a"detective.""Most"memorable"was"his"work"on"a"tour"boat"in"the"
Everglades.""Here"Wendell’s"“private"eye”"is"in"evidence,"as"he"evokes"the"amazing"world"of"the"
Florida"swamps"with"poetic"prose.""He"also"broods"on"his"failed"first"marriage"and"on"Anna—
“How"quickly"she"had"stripped"him"of"his"hard-won"maturity!”"(176).""Although"Wendell"wants"
to"be"a"brave"and"loving"man,"he"falls"short"of"his"own"credo.""He"fears"that"“instead"of"
nurturing"the"empathy"and"care"that"make"love"and"courage"possible,"it"seemed"that"men"and"
women"lived"only"to"give"each"other"grief”"(177).""Whether"this"conclusion"is"too"pessimistic"or"
not,"Wendell"is"most"sympathetic"when"he"ponders"the"meaning"of"things.""Then"he"is,"in"effect,"
30"
"
a"man"thinking"about"his"feelings.""In"terms"of"the"Devil"Dancer"case,"he"decides"that"“the"Mafia"
angle”"(177)"was"the"most"promising"lead"and"that"Conor"was"the"person"to"see."""
" At"the"Mecca"Bar,"the"regulars"are"in"fine"fettle"as"they"trade"witticisms"and"risqué"
stories.""Grady,"they"agree,"is"a"“hopeless"case,”"an"alcoholic"drifter"trapped"in"a"self-destructive"
cycle:"“Too"many"guys"like"him"turn"up"dead”"(181).""One"tale"hits"too"close"to"home,"however,"
when"Al"reports"that"Charlene"Davis"“entertains”"certain"black"football"players"from"the"
University"of"Kentucky"on"“a"more"personal"basis”"(182),"prompting"Jessie’s"remark"that"
Sycamore"Springs"might"be"“a"stud"farm"in"more"ways"than"one”"(182).""This"talk"of"horses"leads"
Conor"to"quip,"“I"wouldn’t"be"a"true"Kentuckian"if"I"didn’t"believe"my"redeemer"was"born"in"a"
stable”"(182).""Conor"does"prove"to"be"a"cornucopia"of"information"about"the"Mafia"in"Ohio"and"
Kentucky,"but"he"warns"Wendell"that"it"would"be"too"dangerous"to"confront"them.""He’s"seen"
the"closed"caskets"of"those"who"make"that"mistake"and"speaks"with"authority.""“I’m"not"just"
alive,"I’m"1-$%%"alive.""That"ain’t"no"small"accomplishment,"the"life"I’ve"lived”"(185).""Although"
Wendell"views"the"crime"as"a"puzzle"to"be"solved,"Conor"cautions,"“Nobody"sees"where"nothing"
goes.""What"you"find"is"not"what"you"thought"you"was"looking"for”"(185).""He"relates"in"factual"
detail"the"operations"of"competing"Irish,"Jewish,"and"Italian"factions"of"“The"Melting"Pot"Mob”"
in"Ohio.""“It’s"all"tangled"up"there,”"he"explains,"advising"Wendell"to"be"very"careful"if"he"
investigates"this"potentially"lethal"labyrinth."""
" Apparently"the"Mafia"was"moving"back"into"Newport,"where"Charles"“Chucky"Surprise”"
Cisternero"recently"was"murdered"in"the"signature"style"of"John"Lane,"aka"“Jack"the"Ripper”"
Zentko.""Conor"gives"Wendell"the"name"of"Caprice"Speciale,"the"victim’s"wife,"but"urges"him"not"
to"see"her:"“you"don’t"want"to"walk"into"the"lion’s"den"when"the"big"cats"are"snarling"over"
31"
"
scraps”"(188).""The",","(-0&,0*$"theme"permeates"this"chapter,"whose"centerpiece"is"a"story"
about"how"the"Hashhouse"Kid25"went"down"with"the"Titanic,"survived,"suffered"a"heart"attack,"
apparently"died,"then"revived,"and"finally"died.""The"life-death-rebirth"motif"is"dramatized"in"a"
way"that"strains"credulity,"but"Wendell"notes"that"Conor"(as"do"I)"“liked"his"stories"to"be"true.""
Even"when"they"were"unbelievable”"(190).""In"fact,"this"seemingly"tall"tale"has"its"basis"in"actual"
events.""Wendell"thanks"Conor"for"his"help,"“You’re"a"life"saver,”"to"which"Conor"sardonically"
responds,"“That"remains"to"be"seen”"(191)."
" Before"he"goes"to"Newport,"Wendell"interviews"Grady’s"sister"Betty,"who"tells"him"
heartbreaking"tales"of"her"life.""“Down.""Down.""I"been"there”"(201).""Recently"diagnosed"with"
terminal"cancer,"she"confides"in"Wendell"as"if"he"were"her"father"confessor.""Betty"relates"
deaths"in"her"family"as"well"as"several"murders"during"the"Depression"that"made"“Bloody"Harlan"
County”"national"news.""Her"voice"is"authentically"Appalachian"and"several"of"the"stories"she"
tells"are"true"to"the"Kentucky"coal"mining"company"towns—including"aptly"named"Hazard—"
where"she"and"Grady"lived.""Wendell"is"touched"by"her"plight"and"disturbed"to"learn"that"Grady"
once"shot"a"man.""He"was"“no"fighter,”"Betty"says,"but"he"did"“sometimes"get"real"hot"inside”"
both"at"“the"bosses”"and"“the"niggers…steppin’"outa"line”"(199).""Wendell"wonders"if"Grady"
possibly"shot"Devil"Dancer"because"he"hated"the"black"workers"at"Sycamore"Springs"or"resented"
Davis"as"an"overbearing"boss.""The"crime"was"crazy"enough"to"make"him"a"viable"suspect.""At"
the"end,"Betty"express"her"feelings"about"human"existence:"“People"don’t"find"their"proper"
happiness"on"this"earth.""I"feel"real"bad"fearful"about"that”"(202).""Then"she"looks"directly"at"
Wendell"and"says,"“Just"because"we"all"die,"that"don’t"mean"it’s"right.""An’"just"because"we"all"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
25"For"more"on"The"Hashhouse"Kid,"who"did"survive"the"sinking"of"the"Titanic,"see"David"W."Maurer,"3/"&O$2&40(K&
3/"&B-0*.&0+&3/"&40(+$5"()"&:'(&'(5&3/"&40(+$5"()"&H',""(N.Y.:"Bobbs"Merrill,"1940)."
32"
"
live,"that"don’t"mean"it’s"worth"it”"(202).""Betty’s"tales"are"as"melancholic"as"a"country"song,"but"
they’re"also"true"and"moving,"leaving"Wendell"with"“a"thorn"in"his"throat”"(203).""
"" A"hardscrabble"farm"girl,"now"owner"of"the"Kitty"Kat"Club"in"Newport,"Caprice"Speciale"
selected"her"name"to"become"a"stripper"known"as"“the"boom"boom"lassie"with"the"oomphy"
chassis”"(211).""After"divorcing"Swanky"Franky"Giordano,"she"married"Charles"“Chucky"Surprise”"
Cisternero,"whose"recent"murder,"as"Conor"suspected,"indicates"that"the"mob"is"attempting"a"
Sin"City"comeback.""Although"Wendell"finds"her"tales"of"“mobster"romance"more"than"a"little"
cloying”"(212),"in"her"inimitable"and"uninhibited"voice"she"provides"important"information"
about"“Bull”"Fuller—“a"free-lance"thug”"who"“punches"out"anti-war"protestors"for"pocket"
change”"(212)—while"Vinnie"“The"Vice”"Scarbono"is"“"a"stone"killer,"a"slugger”"(213),"a"fearsome"
Mafia"hit"man.""“Jack"the"Ripper”"Zentko"is"a"veteran"of"the"bloody"mob"war"between"Cleveland"
and"Pittsburgh"for"control"of"gambling"in"Youngstown,"the"city"where"I"was"born.26""In"twenty"
years"following"World"War"II,"there"were"some"seventy"gangland"bombings,"known"as"
“Youngstown"tune-ups,”"that"took"the"lives"of"about"a"dozen"people,"including"children.""The"
information"that"Caprice"gives"Wendell"is,"for"the"most"part,"historically"true.""With"good"reason"
she"warns"him"that"“Newport"is"not"a"town"to"take"chances"in”"(217).""When"she"explains"how"
Ohio"mobsters"hide"their"money"by"moving"it"around"the"country,"Wendell"says,"“Sounds"
confusing,”"and"she"replies,"“It’s"meant"to"be”"(213).""Like"Ariadne,"Caprice"provides"Wendell"
with"“clues”"for"his"descent"into"the"underworld.""" "
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
26"John"“Jack"the"Ripper”"Zentko"was"a"real"mobster,"as"are"the"other"figures"named"with"the"exceptions"of"Vinnie"
“The"Vice”"Scarbono"and"Ed"“Bull”"Fuller.""Everything"those"figures"do"and"say"in"!"#$%&!'()"*"is"fictitious.""For"
more"on"Zentko,"see"Allan"R."May,"4*$,"-0L(&RS&BS&ES"(Cleveland,"Ohio,"ConAllan"Press,"2013):"582-86."""
33"
"
As"Wendell"nears"the"heart"of"the"labyrinth,"each"successive"chapter"is"darker"and"the"
,","(-0&,0*$"theme"looms"large.""He"has"dinner"at"the"Beverley"Hills,"“a"relatively"low-budget"
attempt"to"out-kitsch"kitsch”"(220).""A"former"gambling"casino"turned"dinner"club,"Wendell"
suspects"that"the"place"might"be"part"of"the"Mafia’s"plans"for"Newport.""While"standing"at"the"
urinal,"he"is"confronted"by"Zentko"and"Scarbono"and"taken"to"“an"L-shaped"storage"area"
beneath"the"spiral"staircase”"(223).""There"an"unnamed"mob"boss"threatens"his"life.27""Scarbono"
favors"“clipping”"him"on"the"spot"and"offers"his"chain"saw"to"cut"up"the"body,"but"the"boss"
demurs,"“Too"much"noise,"too"much"splatter”"(224).""Wendell"realizes"that"“his"only"defense"
was"defenselessness"and"his"best"hope"was"to"keep"the"conversation"civil”"(223).""After"the"boss"
says,"“Talk"to"him,"John”"(226),"Zentko"points"out"that"“Davis"is"a"degenerate"gambler”"who"
owes"them"money.""“If"he’s"gonna"pay"up,"how"come"he"hired"you?”"(227).""As"soon"as"Wendell"
explains"the"Devil"Dancer"case,"he"realizes"he’s"made"a"bad"situation"worse.""“Pallie"here"has"
been"watching"too"many"movies,”"the"boss"says.""“He"thinks"that"horse"was"a"Mafia"hit…."We"
didn’t"do"it.""But"now"that"you"mention"it,"I"like"it.""This"works"in"our"favor”"(227-28).""The"
mobsters"let"Wendell"live—“none"of"your"blood"is"on"the"floor.""Understand?”"(228),"sending"
him"to"tell"Davis"that"if"he"doesn’t"pay"his"debt"both"he"and"Wendell"are"dead"men."""
On"his"drive"back"to"Lexington,"Wendell"feels"like"“a"man"reprieved”"(231),"if"only"
temporarily,"yet"the"case"is"as"murky"as"ever.""If"the"mob"didn’t"kill"Devil"Dancer,"who"did?""Was"
Grady"now"his"best"suspect?""Upon"entering"the"Mecca"Bar"he"accidentally"nudges"“Bull”"Fuller"
playing"pool"and"is"warned"to"watch"his"ass.""Conor"tells"Wendell"that"he"has"just"spoken"to"
Grady,"who"is"in"the"men’s"room,"but"before"he"returns"Fuller"initiates"a"nasty"altercation"with"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
27"This"“underworld"lord"of"dark"corners”"(232)"is"based"on"Leo"“Lips”"Moceri,"who"“disappeared”"in"1976;"his"body"
was"never"found.""He"was"an"underboss"for"James"“Jack"White”"Licavoli,"a"prominent"player"in"the"Ohio"Mafia."""
34"
"
Lee,"the"slightly"built"blond"man"accompanying"Grady,"brandishing"“a"long"knife…"[that]"looked"
sharp"on"both"sides”"(235).""On"impulse,"Wendell"intervenes,"“Leave"him"alone.""Why"pick"on"
him?”"(236).""In"quick"succession"Lee"pulls"his"own"knife"and"stabs"Fuller"in"the"shoulder"while"
Grady,"rushing"to"his"friend’s"defense,"hits"him"upside"the"head"with"a"beer"bottle,"only"to"be"
stabbed"himself:"Fuller’s"“knife"shot"out"in"a"glitter"of"speed"and"caught"Grady"in"the"gut,"sliding"
in"as"easily"as"a"wing"cuts"through"air”"(236).""Then"Fuller"lowers"his"“double-edged"blade”"in"
Wendell’s"direction"and"charges.""Using"a"crippled"man’s"crutch28"to"shove"him"away,"“Wendell"
felt"a"razor-sharp"edge"slide"across"the"side"of"his"throat"as"lightly"as"a"leaf”"(237).""On"his"next"
charge,"Wendell"avoids"the"blade"but"Fuller"tosses"him"onto"the"pool"table.""When"he"comes"to,"
he"is"looking"into"the"ashen"face"of"the"man"he"has"sought"for"three"days.""“Grady,”"Wendell"
says,"“I"wanted"to"talk"to"you.”""To"which"Grady"can"only"reply,"“So?”"(238)"before"he"dies.""""""""""
" Thus"Wendell"meets"his"Minotaur"and"suffers"an"honorable,"albeit"costly,"defeat.""
Although"Fuller"has"fled,"Wendell"has"acted"bravely"in"defense"of"Lee,"done"his"best"to"save"
Grady,"and"is"on"his"way"to"the"hospital.""His"doctor,"Leah"Wiltiham,"an"“intelligent-looking"
woman"with"a"finely"lined"lived-in"face”"(242),"is"a"blend"of"expertise"and"empathy.""When"she"
questions"Wendell"about"how"he"came"so"close"to"being"killed,"his"pent-up"feelings"of"guilt"and"
frustration"burst"forth"and"he"weeps:"“He"was"crying"for"Grady,"for"himself,"for"the"futility"of"
everything”"(243).""She"sews"up"his"wound—“It’s"only"a"long"scratch,"really.""But"that’s"all"you"
could"afford"at"that"particular"spot”"(244),"and"advises"him"to"go"home,"rest,"and"not"think"
about"the"case.""As"they"leave"the"hospital,"Conor"remarks,"“Hell"of"a"lot"of"stiches"for"a"scratch”"
(245).""Then"he"recounts"that"before"Wendell"arrived"at"the"Mecca"Bar,"Grady"had"told"him"that"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
28"In"Spanish",'%"-'"refers"both"to"a"crutch"and"to"the"bullfighter’s"cape.""The"crutch"belongs"to"Joe,"a"crippled"
veteran"of"World"War"II"and"a"regular"at"the"Mecca"Bar.""He"and"his"crutches"are"described"in"a"previous"chapter.""
35"
"
he"had"seen"“a"man"throwing"a"rifle"in"a"pond”"at"Sycamore"Springs.""Grady"didn’t"know"who"it"
was,"nor"if"he"had"been"spotted,"but"that"was"why"he"had"stayed"away"from"the"bar"since"Devil"
Dancer’s"death.""Conor"notes"how"shocked"Wendell"is"by"this"news:"“You"look"as"woebegone"as"
Jerusalem"Slim"before"he"took"the"fall”"(246).""
" The"short"next-to-last"chapter"is"packed"with"images"that"recapitulate"major"themes"of"
the"novel"while"moving"toward"a"surprising"resolution.""Wendell"is"exhausted,"both"Leah"and"
Conor"have"told"him"to"rest,"so"he"stops"by"a"nearby"grocery"store"to"stock"up.""During"the"day"
he’s"repressed"his"desire"for"Anna,"but"now"he"obeys"an"urge"to"see"her,"parking"outside"her"
dark"apartment"to"wait.""As"he"sits"and"sips"a"beer—“It"was"just"like"a"stakeout”"(248)—he"
broods"about"Grady’s"death,"the"heartbreaking"stories"he"has"heard,"and"his"own"relationships.""
He"had"experienced"enough"“crossfire…in"the"war"between"the"sexes…to"qualify"for"combat"
pay”"(248-49).""In"a"key"labyrinthine"image,"he"recalls"once"turning"up"the"underside"of"his"
tongue"to"find"an"unexpected"and"unsettling"sight—“a"primeval"slug-like"creature"lurked"in"his"
mouth”"(248)—and"is"reminded"of"having"just"seen"the"netherworld"of"Newport.""As"he"broods"
on"the",","(-0&,0*$"tales,"he"understands"now"“what"Conor"meant"about"being"1-$%%"alive"and"
not"finding"what"you"were"looking"for”"(249).""In"his"despair"he"echoes"essentail"dictums"of"the"
pre-Socratics:"“Nothing"lasts,"nothing"stays"the"same,"nothing"is"at"it"appears”"(249).""“Was"life"
merely"a"random"roll"of"the"dice?”"(249).""Then"he"looks"up"at"the"sky"and"watches"“the"vast"
star-swirl"wheeling"overhead”"(249).""Like"the"classic"hero,"Wendell"strives"to"make"sense"of"his"
adventures"and"achieve"some"wisdom."""
"When"he"sees"Anna"arrive"with"Davis,"however,"Wendell’s"musings"on"the"human"
condition"yield"to"feeling"“a"knife"of"grief"cut"to"his"guts”"and"an"“envious"rage”"(250).""He"grabs"
36"
"
his"gun,"climbs"up"on"Anna’s"back"balcony,"and"overhears"Davis"confess"to"killing"Devil"Dancer.""
“Look"what"you"made"me"do!”"he"cries"out"to"Anna.""He"was"so"distraught"over"their"breakup"
that"he"got"drunk,"took"his"rifle,"and"wandered"outside,"where"he"saw"Devil"Dancer"
masturbating.29""“He"wouldn’t"perform"in"the"breeding"shed,"but"here"he"was"mocking"me,"just"
for"spite”"(252).""Like"Wendell,"Anna"is"learning"this"for"the"first"time.""“What"did"that"horse"
have"to"do"with"me?”"she"asks,"then"characteristically"concludes,"“Who"knows"why"things"
happen”"(252)"and"tries"to"soothe"Davis"with"sex.""Under"the"physical"and"psychological"strain"
of"the"moment,"Wendell"suffers"a"heart"attack,"whose"imminent"signs"he"had"been"ignoring:"
“Then"a"fiery"pain"fanged"his"heart,"and"he"dropped"to"the"balcony"floor"like"a"stone”"(252)."
" Metaphors"for"the"human"heart"shape"the"final"chapter.""Wendell"wakes"up"in"the"
hospital"with"Leah"Wiltiham"by"his"side.""She"advises"him"to"let"go"of"the"case"and"focus"on"his"
recovery:"“you"must"make"the"best"of"things"and"not"take"what"happened"too"much"to"heart”"
(254).""Wendell"then"meditates"on"“how"often"the"word"‘heart’"came"up"in"discussions"of"how"
to"live”"(254).""Taking"things"to"heart"meant"caring"deeply,"hearts"could"be"“light"with"joy"or"
heavy"with"sorrow”"(254).""What"is"the"proper"way"to"be?""That"is"a"key"question.""The"hospital’s"
heart"specialist,"Doctor"Eisenstein,"is"a"“cold"fish”"who"speaks"in"scientific"terms—Wendell"has"
had"“a"myocardial"infarction”"and"his"“electrocardiogram"was"equivocal”"(255)."""Although"his"
condition"is"“satisfactory,”"the"doctor"hears"“murmuring”"and"wants"“to"go"in"there"and"look"
around”"(257).""Realizing"that"a"man"“with"ice"in"his"veins"made"the"most"precise"incisions,”"
Wendell"must"trust"that"“he"was"putting"his"heart"in"gifted"hands”"(258).""When"Conor"comes"
in,"he"says"he’s"had"triple"bypass"surgery"himself;"it"was"simply"“time"to"take"the"old"jalopy"in"to"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
29"A"stallion"masturbates"by"slapping"his"penis"against"his"stomach"when"he"is"alone"in"his"paddock"(see"p."113)."
37"
"
the"repair"shop,"get"a"lube,"a"valve"job,"replace"a"piston,"no"problem”"(258).""Wendell"certainly"
hopes"to"live"“to"be"an"old"geezer”"(259)"like"Conor.""Who"said,"“‘Longevity"has"its"place’?""Was"
it"Martin,"Bobby,"or"John?30""They"were"all"bushwhacked,"too,"just"like"Devil"Dancer.""
Everything,"it"seemed,"came"down"to"dust"and"disappointment”"(262)."
" Wendell’s"survival"chances"are"improved"by"the"care"he"receives"from"the"night"nurse"
Carrie"Shannon"and,"most"importantly,"by"Leah"Wiltiham,"whose"combination"of"maturity,"
intelligence,"and"compassion"present"a"sharp"contrast"to"Anna.""Leah"informs"him"that"it"was"
actually"Anna"who"resuscitated"his"heart"when"he"collapsed.""Wendell"laughs"at"this"ironic"
information,"recalling"the"“jump"start”"(257)"Anna"gave"his"Cougar.""When"she"and"Davis"come"
to"see"him,"Davis"attempts"to"explain"himself"and"apologize—“I"lost"all"control.""It"was"like"
someone"else"pulled"that"trigger.""I"was"sorry"the"second"I"did"it”"(260)—but"Wendell"knows"
that"Davis"has"used"him"as"a"“patsy…."You"figured"me"for"a"fool…."You"put"me"on"a"case"that"
was"no"case,"and"all"I"got"out"of"it"was"a"bunch"of"sad"stories,"including"my"own”"(260-61).""
Wendell"has"no"intention"of"forgiving"his"former"friend,"who"“had"shot"a"great"horse…."An"
unspeakable"act.""Beneath"contempt”"(261),"but"he"does"feel"his"own"complicity.""Hadn’t"he"
acted"in"similar"ways"after"his"wife"left"and"when"he"tried"to"strangle"Anna?""He"now"realizes"
that"she"“was"a"fantasy"he"would"have"to"relinquish.""Like"so"many"men,"he’d"been"thinking"
with"his"dick”"(262).""After"all"he"had"been"through,"Wendell"decides"that"“he"was"in"no"position"
to"pass"final"judgment”"(262)"and"doesn’t"turn"in"Davis.""Whether"or"not"that"was"the"right"
choice,"his"well-being"depends"on"his"ability"to"put"the"last"three"days"behind"him.""“Let"the"rifle"
rust"in"the"pond.""Let"Devil"Dancer’s"bones"molder"in"the"earth.""That"was"some"horse”"(262).""" "
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30"Martin"Luther"King"said"this"phrase"in"a"speech"he"gave"in"1968,"the"night"before"his"assination."""
38"
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"""""Conclusion((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
" If"the"archetypal"substructure"of"a"novel"reaffirms"enduring"truths"of"human"behavior,"
an"author’s"signature"finds"its"sustenance"in"a"particular"time"and"place.""When"James"Joyce"in"
R%.11"1"turned"to"Homer"for"inspiration,"T."S."Eliot"noted"that"his"mythological"method"was"
“simply"a"way"of"controlling,"or"ordering,"of"giving"a"shape"and"a"significance"to"the"immense"
panorama"of"futility"and"anarchy"that"is"contemporary"history.”31""Many"years"later"my"motives"
were"similar.""As"mentioned"at"the"start,"playing"variations"on"mythical"patterns"can"add"
resonance"to"a"novel,"reminding"us,"for"example,"that"the"struggle"of"men"and"women"to"
comprehend"each"other"is"older"than"recorded"history,"that"our"existence"is"often"shrouded"in"
mystery,"and"that"terrible,"inexplicable"things"can"and"do"happen.""Schlegel"defined"myths"as"
“the"densest"weave"of"the"human"spirit,”32"providing"examples,"writ"large,"of"our"potential"for"
good"and"evil.""The"hero"sets"out"on"an"adventure"to"explore"a"labyrinth,"slay"a"monster,"
encounter"a"goddess,"solve"a"riddle,"and"return"home"with"a"beneficial"boon.""Yet"even"if"all"
goes"well,"tragedy"lurks"in"the"wings.""As"Joseph"Campbell"noted,"eventually"all"endings"are"
unhappy"and"we"will"face"“death,"disintegration,"dismemberment,"and"the"crucifixion"of"our"
heart"with"the"passing"of"the"forms"that"we"have"loved.”33""(
"Wendell"and"Anna"play"ironic"variations"on"Theseus"and"Ariadne;"he"survives"his"three-
day"ordeal,"literally"by"a"fraction"of"an"inch,"and"she"proves"to"be"a"fantasy"he"must"relinquish.""
Anna,"like"most"goddesses,"is"promiscuous"by"nature;"in"her"quest"for"transcendent"excitement"
she"is"both"appealing"and"intimidating.""Even"though"she"is"the"+",,"&+'-'%"&of"the"novel,"
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31"T."S."Eliot,"“Ulysses,"Order"and"Myth,”"B"%")-"5&F*01"&0+&3S&BS&6%$0-"(London:"Farber"and"Farber,"1975):"177."
32"August"Wilhelm"von"Schlegel,"quoted"in"Robert"Calasso,"7$-"*'-@*"&'(5&-/"&H051"(N.Y.:"Knopf,"2001):"61."
33"Campbell,"="*0&?$-/&E&3/0@1'(5&8')"1,"25-26."""
39"
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however,"it"would"be"a"mistake"to"put"all"the"blame"on"Mame.34""The"shortcomings"of"men,"not"
the"alleged"inscrutability"of"women,"provide"the"central"theme.""“Penis"envy”"in"the"female"
psyche"is"one"of"Freud’s"most"questionable"notions,"yet"reverse"that"proposition"and"apply"it"to"
men"and"it"helps"clarify"male"behavior.""Brad"Davis,"Wendell"Clay,"and"other"male"charaters"
suffer"from"variations"of"that"malady,"which"the"potency"of"Devil"Dancer"highlights.""Wendell"
comes"to"realize"that"the"essential"mystery"to"be"solved"is"that"of"his"own"nature."""As"a"true"
detective"he"uncovers"elusive"secrets,"gains"knowledge,"and"finds"who"done"it,"but"he"also"asks"
the"ultimate"questions:"Who"am"I?""Who"are"we?"""
" However"elaborately"archetypal"motifs"are"woven"into"it,"the"literary"merits"of"a"novel"
still"depend"on"an"author’s"signature"style.""!"#$%&!'()"*"is"my"most"poetic"work"because"it"
draws"upon"what"Robert"Graves"terms"a"“spiritual"regression”35"to"tap"into"the"power"of"the"
Muse,"the"White"Goddess.""Initially"I"thought"of"my"novel"as"a"contemporary"Jacobean"tragedy,"
presenting"a"world"where"“confusion”"reigned,"and"the"reader"may"hear"in"my"prose"echoes"of"
the"iambic"rhythms"of"Shakespeare"and"company.""I"have"quoted"freely"in"this"essay"to"provide"
a"sampling"of"my"style,"but"its"full"effect,"the"degree"to"which"it"succeeds"or"not,"can"only"be"
determined"by"an"attentive"reading"of"the"book.""In"good"fiction"what"characters"do"and"say"
appears"to"be"realistic,"even"inevitable,"because"they"are"all"“in"voice”"and"convincingly"
themselves,"yet"every"word"is"the"result"of"a"deliberate"choice.""The"writer"composes"in"reverie"
and"revises"with"lucidity.""He"or"she"takes"pains"to"rewrite"over"and"over"so"that"their"work"can"
be"read"with"pleasure.""What"is"good"writing"but"the"word"made"flesh,"a"fictive"world"brought"
to"life?""Flaubert"has"said"best"what"I"wanted"to"accomplish.""“Style"is"an"absolute"manner"of"
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34"See."Michael"Wood,"“The"Blame"on"Mame,”"E,"*$)'&$(&-/"&:0#$"1"(N.Y.:"Basic"Books,"1975):"51-74."
35"Graves,"?/$-"&H055"11,"xii,"3,"10.s"
40"
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seeing"things…."A"good"prose"sentence"should"be"like"a"good"line"of"poetry—@()/'(2"'<%","just"
as"rhythmic,"just"as"sonorous.”36""My"purpose"in"!"#$%&!'()"*"is"to"bring"the"world"of"Lexington,"
Kentucky,"alive,"to"describe"it"as"I"saw"it,"and"to"capture"its"voices"as"I"heard"them.""Literature"is"
the"lifeblood"of"a"culture"and"the"best"told"tales"make"sense,"of"a"sort.""For"one"thing,"they"tell"
us"we"are"not"alone.""Others"who"came"before"us"led"similar"lives,"as"will"others"who"come"after"
us,"while"the"bedrock"problems"of"human"existence"remain."""
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36"Gustave"Flaubert,"3/"&B"%")-"5&7"--"*1&0+&8%'@<"*-,"translated"and"edited"by"Francis"Steegmuller"(N.Y.:"Farrar"
Straus"and"Young,"1953):"128,"139.""He"also"wrote"this"passage"which"serves"as"an"appropriate"coda"to"this"essay"
and"to"!"#$%&!'()"*:"“Thoroughbred"horses"and"thoroughbred"styles"have"plenty"of"blood"in"their"veins,"and"it"can"
be"seen"pulsing"everywhere"in"them,"under"the"skin"of"the"words.""Life!""Life!""To"have"erections!""That"is"
everything,"the"only"thing"that"counts!""That"is"why"I"so"love"lyricism.”"158.""