i have perched atop- lavonia elberton is born of a road trip game, and we're driving along and passing lavonia and elberton in georgia on 85 north. and i said, "lavonia elberton, for example, her family owned all the land, it was a fruit orchard, and then the highway came through and bought all the land, and cut down all the trees, and now she lives in an airstream trailer surrounded by all these gourd birdhouses so that the birds still have a place to live. she works at the truck stop as a waitress, but reads everyone's tarot cards. she's this long line of witches, but also this intersection of poor rural south. and i had this moment where i described who she is and i was like, "holy [censored], i wanna be lavonia elberton." [crickets chirping] p.s., i have the answer, you will miss the last breath, there will be a point when you realize it must have happened, but you did not catch it. the body will be heavy, it will surprise you how limp, all this motion, all this articulation becomes. in the name of our blessed and anointed savior, lavonia elberton, go in peace and unto the grace of