“Thomas Beller writes with wit, irony, skepticism, and brio. <em>Degas at the Gas Station</em> is one of the finest collections of personal essays I have seen in a long while.” - Phillip Lopate, author of <i>My Affair with Art House Cinema: Essays and Reviews</i><br /> <br />“The true power of this excellent collection comes through Thomas Beller’s ability to dig down into the ordinary and commonplace for new and revelatory insight. A master of the small moment, Beller is one of the strongest personal essayists in contemporary literature.” - Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, author of <em>American Estrangement: Stories</em><br /> <br />“This is a treasure trove of glimmering pieces on fatherhood and youth, odd jobs and urban life. The essay lives every time Thomas Beller picks up the pen.” - Ed Park, author of <em>Same Bed Different Dreams: A Novel</em>
Introduction: The Misunderstandings 1
The Frozen River, Part I 15
iPod on the Tracks 18
The Stuff of Life 21
The Bad News Bears and Breaking Away 26
The Kinks at the Garden 34
The Lost Glove 46
On Moving Out 49
Falling Out with Father Figures 66
The Laundry Room 71
Us and Them 77
The Topographical Soul 85
Negative Space 89
The Purple Krama 99
2. The Rights
Loose Teeth 107
Degas at the Gas Station 111
Thanksgiving Panic 115
The Pink Comma 121
How I Found My iPhone in New Orleans 127
The Two-Thousand-Dollar Popsicle 134
On Finding a Spot 140
Saying Goodbye to Now 146
Remembrance of Snows Past 151
Repeat, Memory 160
The Perils of Precocity 164
Drain You 169
Her Party 173
Napoleon on the Back Stairs 178
The Egg Cream in Mid-Manhattan, 1982 186
Somebody’s Mother Is Waiting in the Lobby 197
The Time My Band Opened for Blur 203
Death of a Movie Theater 209
A Few Words About Jerry Stiller 216
Loitering with Intent at Manet/Degas 220
The Rights 226
Evacuation 237
The Frozen River (Reprise) 243
Index 265