Trust Exercise

Now 30 years old, the character called "Karen" in the first section is waiting for the character called "Sarah" outside a bookstore in Los Angeles: "'Karen' stood outside the Skylight bookstore in Los Angeles, waiting for her old friend, the author" (132). She reveals that the first section was the first part of a novel that Sarah wrote. The women are now 30 and have not been in touch since high school. "Karen" considers the name that Sarah attributed to her. She finds it commonplace and unsexy. As she thinks about Sarah's book, she reveals that she is actually three other characters, whom Sarah separated in her narrative: Julietta, for how others admired her Christianity; Pammie, for how others mocked her Christianity; and Joelle, for the intimacy she and Sarah once had. "Karen" considers the names "Sarah," "David," and "Mr. Kingsley" appropriate. Overall, she finds the book unimpressive and insulting.

"Karen" thinks about how to present herself during "Sarah's" reading at the bookstore. This causes her reflect on their days in theater school and how neither of them was good enough to make it professionally. After graduating, "Karen" studied dance in college, then took on a series of administrative jobs.