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| "Flapper," by Meg Flannery |
OF: In your story, "Dust to Dust," the nameless main character cares for and attends to the elderly, in life and after death. Her story is replete with fine details and nuances of end of life care. What was the inspiration behind your story? Have you ever worked in in hospice, or have you had a loved one in hospice care?
LL: This story comes directly from a deep-seated neurosis involving cleaning. My home is by no means overly clean, but I have a long history of finding solace and satisfaction in cleaning. My journals as a kid generally included some note like, “When I got home I swept the dining room and washed dishes” (which should also tell you that my childhood was incredibly boring). My first job, starting at age fourteen, was as a night-time cleaning lady. It just so happens that I worked at a few medical offices. Later in life I worked at one again, not as a cleaner but as an assistant. But this story is about cleaning, not medical care.
