WHEN TROUBLE IS IN THE AIR.
SOME PREFER TO BE CLOSE TO THOSE
AT THE TOP AND OTHERS WANT TO BE
CLOSE TO THOSE AT THE BOTTOM.
IT'S A QUESTION OF WHO FRIGHTENS THEM 
MORE AND WHOM THEY WANT TO BE LIKE.

WHEN YOU'VE BEEN SOMEPLACE FOR A WHILE
YOU ACQUIRE THE ABILITY
TO BE PRACTICALLY INVISIBLE.
THIS LETS YOU OPERATE WITH 
A MINIMUM OF INTERFERENCE.

YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF ENTER
SOMEWHERE FRIGHTENING IF YOU 
BELIEVE YOU'LL PROFIT FROM IT.
THE NATURAL RESPONSE IS TO 
FLEE BUT PEOPLE DON'T ACT 
THAT WAY ANYMORE.

WHAT A SHOCK WHEN THEY TELL YOU
IT WON'T HURT AND YOU ALMOST 
TURN INSIDE OUT WHEN THEY BEGIN.

THERE ARE PLACES THAT ARE SCARRED
AND THE SKIN IS PULLED AROUND,
LIKE THE NAVEL OR THE
HEAD OF THE PENIS,
THAT LEAVE YOU THINKING
THAT THE BODY IS FRAGILE.

IF THINGS WERE A LITTLE DIFFERENT
YOU WOULD DIGEST YOURSELF
THROUGH A CUT IN YOUR MOUTH.
IT'S A RELIEF TO KNOW THERE 
ARE PROVISIONS AGAINST THIS.

MORE PEOPLE WILL BE BUILDING
HIDING PLACES IN THEIR HOMES,
SMALL REFUGES THAT ARE UNDETECTABLE
EXCEPT BY SOPHISTICATED DEVICES.

EVEN WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED
YOU CAN SEE SOMEONE APPROACHING.
HIS SHADOW SHOWS ON
THE INSIDE OF YOUR EYELIDS.

THE RICH KNIFING VICTIM CAN FLIP
AND FEEL LIKE THE AGGRESSOR
IF HE THINKS ABOUT PRIVILEGE.
HE CAN ALSO FIND THE CUT 
SYMBOLIC OR PROPHETIC.

HANDS-ON SOCIALIZATION PROMOTES
HAPPY INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS.
THE DESIRE FOR AND THE DEPENDENCE
UPON FONDLING ENSURE REPEATED
ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN CARESSES AND
THE WILLINGNESS TO RECIPROCATE.

IT'S AN ODD FEELING WHEN YOU
TRIGGER INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOR
LIKE NURSING IN SOMEONE.
IT'S FUNNY TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE
WHILE A DIFFERENT PART OF
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM  TAKES OVER
AND HIS EYES GET STRANGE.

BY YOUR RESPONSE TO DANGER IT IS
EASY TO TELL HOW YOU HAVE LIVED 
AND WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO YOU.
YOU SHOW WHETHER YOU WANT TO STAY ALIVE,
WHETHER YOU THINK YOU DESERVE TO,
AND WHETHER YOU BELIEVE
IT'S ANY GOOD TO ACT.

AFTER DARK IT IS A RELIEF TO SEE A
GIRL WALKING TOWARD OR BEHIND YOU.
THEN YOU ARE MUCH LESS LIKELY
TO BE ASSAULTED.

AFFLUENT COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS
FACE THE REAL PROSPECT
OF DOWNWARD MOBILITY.
FEELINGS OF ENTITLEMENT CLASH WITH
THE AWARENESS OF IMMINENT SCARCITY.
THERE IS A RESENTMENT AT GROWING UP
AT THE END OF AN ERA OF PLENTY
COUPLED WITH REASSESSMENT OF
CONVENTIONAL MEASURES OF SUCCESS.

IT CAN BE HELPFUL TO THINK OF
THEM EATING THEIR FAVORITE FOODS
AND OCCASIONALLY THROWING UP
AND GETTING BITS STUCK
IN THEIR NOSES.

YOU SHOULD LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TIMES
YOU ACT AGAINST YOUR NATURE,
LIKE SLEEPING WITH PEOPLE YOU HATE.
ITıS INTERESTING TO TEST YOUR CAPABILITIES FOR A WHILE
BUT TOO MUCH WILL CAUSE DAMAGE.

THE SMALLEST THING CAN MAKE
SOMEBODY SEXUALLY UNAPPEALING.
A MISPLACED MOLE OR A 
PARTICULAR HAIR PATTERN CAN DO IT.
THEREıS NOW REASON FOR THIS
BUT ITıS JUST AS WELL.

WHEN YOUıRE ON THE VERGE
OF DETERMINING THAT
YOU DONıT LIKE SOMEONE
ITıS AWFUL WHEN HE SMILES 
AND HIS TEETH LOOK ABSOLUTELY
EVEN AND FALSE.


LITTLE QUEENIE

ANY NUMBER OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS 
LIE FACE DOWN ON THE BED AND
WORK ON ENERGY, HOUSING, LABOR,
JUSTICE, EDUCATION, TRANSPORTATION,
AGRICULTURE, AND BALANCE OF TRADE.

MORE THAN ONCE IıVE AWAKENED WITH
TEARS RUNNING DOWN MY CHEEKS.
I HAVE HAD TO THINK WHETHER
I WAS CRYING OR WHETHER IT
WAS INVOLUNTARY, LIKE DROOLING.

GIFTED CHILDREN, THOSE WITH 
AN IQ OF 125 OR ABOVE,
ARE PRONE TO FEELINGS OF ALIENATION,
FRUSTRATION AND BOREDOM.
THESE FEELINGS CAN CULMINATE IN
VIOLENCE IF THE CHILDREN 
ARE NOT ENCOURAGED AND CHALLENGED.

THERE IS A PERIOD WHEN IT IS CLEAR
THAT YOU HAVE GONE WRONG
BUT YOU CONTINUE.
SOMETIMES THERE IS A 
LUXURIOUS AMOUNT OF TIME 
BEFORE ANYTHING BAD HAPPENS.

IT CAN BE STARTLING TO
SEE SOMEONEıS BREATH,
LET ALONE THE BREATHING OF A CROWD.
YOU USUALLY DONıT BELIEVE THAT
PEOPLE EXTEND THAT FAR.

THEREıS THE SENSATION OF
A LOT OF FLESH WHEN EVERY
SINGLE HAIR STANDS UP.
THIS HAPPENS WHEN YOU 
ARE COLD AND NAKED,
AROUSED, OR SIMPLY TERRIFIED.

THEREıS NO REASON TO SLEEP
CURLED UP AND BENT.
ITıS NOT COMFORTABLE,
ITıS NOT GOOD FOR YOU, AND IT
DOESNıT PROTECT YOU FROM DANGER.
IF YOUıRE WORRIED ABOUT AN ATTACK
YOU SHOULD STAY AWAKE 
OF SLEEP LIGHTLY WITH 
LIMBS UNFURLED FOR ACTION.

IT TAKES A WHILE BEFORE YOU CAN 
STEP OVER INERT BODIES AND GO AHEAD
WITH WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO DO.

THE MOUTH IS INTERESTING BECAUSE
ITıS ONE OF THOSE PLACES
WHERE THE DRY OUTSIDE MOVES
TOWARD THE SLIPPERY INSIDE.

SOME DAYS YOU WAKE AND
IMMEDIATELY START TO WORRY.
NOTHING IN PARTICULAR IS WRONG,
ITıS JUST THE SUSPICION THAT
FORCES ARE ALIGNING QUIETLY
AND THERE WILL BE TROUBLE.

Selections from The Living Series 
Jenny Holzer     1989
Collection Walker Art Center.