Read on Twitter
Happy Birthday, Donald Barthelme. Best known as a short story writer, Barthelme also enjoyed making surreal collages. Here is a thread that pairs his collages with some of the best opening lines from his stories. [1/7]
![Happy Birthday, Donald Barthelme. Best known as a short story writer, Barthelme also enjoyed making surreal collages. Here is a thread that pairs his collages with some of the best opening lines from his stories. [1/7]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU_7KtVXsAEpcdu.jpg "Happy Birthday, Donald Barthelme. Best known as a short story writer, Barthelme also enjoyed making surreal collages. Here is a thread that pairs his collages with some of the best opening lines from his stories. [1/7]")
The death of Edward Lear took place on a Sunday morning in May 1888. Invitations were sent out well in advance. [2/7]
![The death of Edward Lear took place on a Sunday morning in May 1888. Invitations were sent out well in advance. [2/7]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU_7QitXYAIc2TG.jpg "The death of Edward Lear took place on a Sunday morning in May 1888. Invitations were sent out well in advance. [2/7]")
Miss Mandible wants to make love to me but she hesitates because I am officially a child; I am, according to the records ... eleven years old. There is a misconception here, one that I haven't quite managed to get cleared up yet. I am in fact thirty-five... [3/7]
![Miss Mandible wants to make love to me but she hesitates because I am officially a child; I am, according to the records ... eleven years old. There is a misconception here, one that I haven't quite managed to get cleared up yet. I am in fact thirty-five... [3/7]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU_7XJ3XYAAPSkL.jpg "Miss Mandible wants to make love to me but she hesitates because I am officially a child; I am, according to the records ... eleven years old. There is a misconception here, one that I haven't quite managed to get cleared up yet. I am in fact thirty-five... [3/7]")
So I bought a little city (it was Galveston, Texas) and told everybody that nobody had to move, we were going to do it just gradually, very relaxed no big changes overnight. They were pleased and suspicious. [4/7]
![So I bought a little city (it was Galveston, Texas) and told everybody that nobody had to move, we were going to do it just gradually, very relaxed no big changes overnight. They were pleased and suspicious. [4/7]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU_7cMnWsAEYXbE.jpg "So I bought a little city (it was Galveston, Texas) and told everybody that nobody had to move, we were going to do it just gradually, very relaxed no big changes overnight. They were pleased and suspicious. [4/7]")
My wife wants a dog. She already has a baby. The baby's almost two. My wife says that the baby wants the dog. My wife has been wanting a dog for a long time. I have had to be the one to tell her that she couldn't have it. But now the baby wants a dog, my wife says. [5/7]
![My wife wants a dog. She already has a baby. The baby's almost two. My wife says that the baby wants the dog. My wife has been wanting a dog for a long time. I have had to be the one to tell her that she couldn't have it. But now the baby wants a dog, my wife says. [5/7]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU_7hZLWkAA9rbH.jpg "My wife wants a dog. She already has a baby. The baby's almost two. My wife says that the baby wants the dog. My wife has been wanting a dog for a long time. I have had to be the one to tell her that she couldn't have it. But now the baby wants a dog, my wife says. [5/7]")
Because he needed the money Peterson answered an ad that said "We'll pay you to be on TV if your opinions are strong enough or your personal experiences have a flavor of the unusual." [6/7]
![Because he needed the money Peterson answered an ad that said "We'll pay you to be on TV if your opinions are strong enough or your personal experiences have a flavor of the unusual." [6/7]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU_8P4yX0AIVEFO.jpg "Because he needed the money Peterson answered an ad that said \"We'll pay you to be on TV if your opinions are strong enough or your personal experiences have a flavor of the unusual.\" [6/7]")
The collages in this thread were taken from 2 books: Guilty Pleasures and The Slightly Irregular Fire Engine. If you enjoyed this, you might enjoy my essay on Barthelme and verbal collage, available open access: https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/12867 [7/7]
![The collages in this thread were taken from 2 books: Guilty Pleasures and The Slightly Irregular Fire Engine. If you enjoyed this, you might enjoy my essay on Barthelme and verbal collage, available open access: https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/12867 [7/7]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU_8VJAXYAI7TOY.jpg "The collages in this thread were taken from 2 books: Guilty Pleasures and The Slightly Irregular Fire Engine. If you enjoyed this, you might enjoy my essay on Barthelme and verbal collage, available open access: https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/12867 [7/7]")
