From the day
Perspective: The Teenager · Sound
The scratchy needle drop of "Whispering" by John Schonberger is blaring from the parlor again, and if I hear that slide whistle one more time, I’ll flip my lid. I’m hunkered down on the back stoop, trying to adjust my cloche hat in the reflection of my cheaters while the distant rumble of a Ford backfiring drowns out the newsboys shouting about some mess in Stamboul. Pop says the world is finally waking up, but all I hear is the frantic hiss of the new electric hair dryer upstairs and the rhythmic click-clack of my T-strap heels on the pavement as I plot my escape to the jazz club. My beaded silk dress catches the low March light, making a soft, shushing sound that feels far more like the cat’s pajamas than any dusty headline.