From the day
Perspective: The Future Historian · Tactile
The rough, tea-dyed muslin of this Raggedy Ann doll catches on my thumb, a tactile reminder of the domestic comforts that families cling to while the world fractures. I smooth her yarn hair and set her down to pick up the morning paper, the ink staining my fingertips as I read that Gen. Huerta is on a ship bound to the West Indies, once more a catalyst for revolutionary plots. The air in the parlor feels heavy, thick with the scent of starch and the distant fear that many a boy won't be returning to his "blighty" home across the sea. I trace the smooth, revolutionary edge of a new Pyrex dish, wondering how long these fragile glass and fabric boundaries can withstand the heat of such a transformative century.