Ghost and Flesh, Water and Dirt
by William Goyen
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At a glance:
- Author: William Goyen
- First Published: 1952
- Type of Plot: Ghost story
- Time of Work: About 1930 to 1950
- Setting: A small town in East Texas
- Characters: Margy Emmons, Fursta Evans, An unnamed young woman
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction, Ghost story
- Subjects: Memory, Supernatural, Communication, Storytelling, Loneliness
- Locales: United States, Texas, North America
The Story
“Ghost and Flesh, Water and Dirt” is the story of Margy Emmons’s life as told by her; it is a sad but evocative and mysterious tale that centers on her relationships with two men: Raymon Emmons, the “ghost” of the title, whom Margy “lost” to “dirt,” and Nick Natowski, the “flesh,” whom she “lost” to “water.” Throughout the story, Margy sits in the Pass Time Club drinking beer, talking to a young woman, recalling the “fire” of her life, and sifting through the “ashes” of her memories. Margy is in her “time a tellin,” and she...
(The entire page is 1827 words.)
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