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“Working”

“No, you’re not You’re sitting here, reading about yourself” And then he went off on a tirade “It’s the neurosis of the new millennium It’s not self-absorption It’s self-addiction And that’s why”—he began sputtering—“that’s why I wrote about David Bushnell”

“Huh?” Mindy said

“David Bushnell wasn’t about the self,” Ja back as if preparing to engage in a long discussion about his book “Unlike the bottom-feeders who now populate the world, the publicists, the stockbrokers, the lawyers, everyone trying to make a buck off someone else…”

Mindy stared at hi on about She changed the topic back to herself “I can’t get over it,” she said “How dare they? Whyfun of me?”

Once again, Ja to talk about his book Usually, he let it go But this time, he wasn’t in a mood to be solicitous to his wife He stood up and startedaround with her CDs “Why shouldn’t theyStones’ greatest hits “Mother’s Little Helper” was on it, he noted; perhaps he should have a listen

“Excuse me?” she said

“Because you’re special and better than everyone else?” James asked casually

“I aave Ja look

“All I’,” James said, “is that in your twenty years as a journalist, you’ve never hurt anyone?”

“Are you saying this is some kind of retribution?” Mindy asked

“It could be Maybe it’s karma”

Mindy snorted in derision “Maybe it’s just that young people these days are nasty and jealous And disrespectful What did I ever do to them?”

“You’re somewhat successful Or seen as successful, anyway,” Jaet it? We’re the establisher at her, said, “Us You andpeople want to knock down And ere exactly like them ere in our twenties”

“We were not”