A teacher comes back from her sabbatical in Yemen.

(Best American Short Stories 2009)

It was the first week of May, and she was holding court in the teachers’ lounge, her hair nearly down to her waist and her big belly protruding over her lap. Above the belly, Ms. Duffy laughed and swayed and gestured freely with her hands, as if to say, “What—this old thing?”

Ms. Hempel couldn’t take her eyes off it. It looked as tough as a gourd.

This is my first short story in a long while, after my own Infinite Jest-related sabbatical. Loved the book. I didn’t go for this story however. It wasn’t bad (obviously — the BASS stamp, if nothing else, guarantees great writing on a sentence-by-sentence basis) just a little dull. I guess you have to be in the mood to read a story about savoring moments and what have you.

Read it yourself, here.