{"id":13750,"date":"2020-06-09T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/two-hybrid-pieces-by-bryce-berkowitz\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T12:33:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T17:33:11","slug":"two-hybrid-pieces-by-bryce-berkowitz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2020\/06\/09\/two-hybrid-pieces-by-bryce-berkowitz\/","title":{"rendered":"Broad Ripple, Toxic Masculinity, &amp; The Uber Driver That Asked About the Snow &amp; Dear Standard Parts of a Workplace Letter\u2014the hell do you know(?)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-social-links-is-layout-765c4724 wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-facebook  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61556140010887\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 2C6.5 2 2 6.5 2 12c0 5 3.7 9.1 8.4 9.9v-7H7.9V12h2.5V9.8c0-2.5 1.5-3.9 3.8-3.9 1.1 0 2.2.2 2.2.2v2.5h-1.3c-1.2 0-1.6.8-1.6 1.6V12h2.8l-.4 2.9h-2.3v7C18.3 21.1 22 17 22 12c0-5.5-4.5-10-10-10z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-instagram  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/boudin_mcneese\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12,4.622c2.403,0,2.688,0.009,3.637,0.052c0.877,0.04,1.354,0.187,1.671,0.31c0.42,0.163,0.72,0.358,1.035,0.673 c0.315,0.315,0.51,0.615,0.673,1.035c0.123,0.317,0.27,0.794,0.31,1.671c0.043,0.949,0.052,1.234,0.052,3.637 s-0.009,2.688-0.052,3.637c-0.04,0.877-0.187,1.354-0.31,1.671c-0.163,0.42-0.358,0.72-0.673,1.035 c-0.315,0.315-0.615,0.51-1.035,0.673c-0.317,0.123-0.794,0.27-1.671,0.31c-0.949,0.043-1.233,0.052-3.637,0.052 s-2.688-0.009-3.637-0.052c-0.877-0.04-1.354-0.187-1.671-0.31c-0.42-0.163-0.72-0.358-1.035-0.673 c-0.315-0.315-0.51-0.615-0.673-1.035c-0.123-0.317-0.27-0.794-0.31-1.671C4.631,14.688,4.622,14.403,4.622,12 s0.009-2.688,0.052-3.637c0.04-0.877,0.187-1.354,0.31-1.671c0.163-0.42,0.358-0.72,0.673-1.035 c0.315-0.315,0.615-0.51,1.035-0.673c0.317-0.123,0.794-0.27,1.671-0.31C9.312,4.631,9.597,4.622,12,4.622 M12,3 C9.556,3,9.249,3.01,8.289,3.054C7.331,3.098,6.677,3.25,6.105,3.472C5.513,3.702,5.011,4.01,4.511,4.511 c-0.5,0.5-0.808,1.002-1.038,1.594C3.25,6.677,3.098,7.331,3.054,8.289C3.01,9.249,3,9.556,3,12c0,2.444,0.01,2.751,0.054,3.711 c0.044,0.958,0.196,1.612,0.418,2.185c0.23,0.592,0.538,1.094,1.038,1.594c0.5,0.5,1.002,0.808,1.594,1.038 c0.572,0.222,1.227,0.375,2.185,0.418C9.249,20.99,9.556,21,12,21s2.751-0.01,3.711-0.054c0.958-0.044,1.612-0.196,2.185-0.418 c0.592-0.23,1.094-0.538,1.594-1.038c0.5-0.5,0.808-1.002,1.038-1.594c0.222-0.572,0.375-1.227,0.418-2.185 C20.99,14.751,21,14.444,21,12s-0.01-2.751-0.054-3.711c-0.044-0.958-0.196-1.612-0.418-2.185c-0.23-0.592-0.538-1.094-1.038-1.594 c-0.5-0.5-1.002-0.808-1.594-1.038c-0.572-0.222-1.227-0.375-2.185-0.418C14.751,3.01,14.444,3,12,3L12,3z M12,7.378 c-2.552,0-4.622,2.069-4.622,4.622S9.448,16.622,12,16.622s4.622-2.069,4.622-4.622S14.552,7.378,12,7.378z M12,15 c-1.657,0-3-1.343-3-3s1.343-3,3-3s3,1.343,3,3S13.657,15,12,15z M16.804,6.116c-0.596,0-1.08,0.484-1.08,1.08 s0.484,1.08,1.08,1.08c0.596,0,1.08-0.484,1.08-1.08S17.401,6.116,16.804,6.116z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Bryce Berkowitz<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>Broad Ripple, Toxic Masculinity, &amp; The Uber Driver That Asked About the Snow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Isn\u2019t it always the father, the mother?<br>From:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Isn\u2019t it always the man behind the drapes?<br>Date: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; They didn\u2019t even know it was my birthday.<br>Subject:&nbsp;&nbsp; Broad Ripple, Toxic Masculinity, &amp; The Uber Driver That Asked About the Snow&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The purpose of this poem-memo is to poem-memo then oblivion or rather sleep well without the badger balm, to badger balm my temples without the verbiage, to react without fumbling my addictions\u2014all in hopes to receive a positive review on my annual instructor evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In a swan stretch at 3 AM, one may wonder how pain happens. I think we\u2019re always just talking about that. Then, there are the ethical considerations of <em>you\u2019re not alone in your pain. <\/em>There was the job interview, of course; outside Walgreen\u2019s\u2014in a hood without Naked juice. Another kind of Indy gray. The dismantling conversation of, \u201cFucking Trump. What else is there? He\u2019s a lunatic.\u201d And somehow, I\u2019m in a slate suit, drinking Champagne Velvet. But what do I know? My mother can\u2019t remember my brother\u2019s name and it\u2019s not because a pot of boiling water, the prelude to a scream, or there\u2019s more than one wrong heaven. There are so many stories I can\u2019t share with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">And so, at breakfast, a discussion of punk rock<br>\u2014seventies to nineties. When I mention Op Ivy,<br><em>this isn\u2019t going anywhere.<\/em><br>Maybe I\u2019m feeling the weight of Patachou-white,<br>Indianapolis pressed like a penny on a freight rail, or maybe<br>my student mentioning life as a roustabout in a cyclone oil field.<br>This visit will be anything but a slim volume of so sad things.<br>But then again, <em>teaching is not an engineering problem,<\/em><br>although my engineering students still pray<br>beneath bleeding-green northern lights.<br>And so, I share Deresiewicz anyway: <em>For all the skill<\/em><br><em>that teaching involves, you ultimately only have<\/em><br><em>a single tool: your entire life as you have lived it<\/em><br><em>up until the moment you walk into class.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Recommendation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>So, how do we market a poet who doesn\u2019t publish in a genre they teach? <\/em><br>And I think about all the students I\u2019ve taught\u2014their faces, a lecture-hall blur<br>\u2014all in fields unlike my own. What\u2019s the real issue:<br>how do I matter? I think I don\u2019t<br>and I think I do, and I think of middle finger marketing as youth.<br>But research is an anvil,<br>and writing doesn\u2019t fit inside a little box.<br>But, what can I do? Fork berries into my mouth.<br>IL &gt; CA &gt; WV &gt; MT; and how it ends<br>with a handshake\u2014a life that finally happened: &gt;IN.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<em>\u2014Bryce Berkowitz<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>Dear Standard Parts of a Workplace Letter\u2014<em>the hell do you know(?)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">1 Effort to Better Manage<br>the Interior and Exterior Self<br>Butte, Montana 59701<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">It\u2019s April now, &amp; so boredom comes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Dear Standard Parts of a Workplace Letter\u2014<em>the hell do you know(?)<\/em>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I have examined the damage to my life caused by the ruptured care &amp; currency to care for others &amp; consider the following repairs to be necessary &amp; of immediate concern:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Exterior:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Remove the soft siding caused by bad habit, by gravity, by seasoned fries<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Replace the damaged skin &amp; teeth with new wave biodegradable forms of plastic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Remove all built-up resentment corroding the faulty memory<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Replace downtime with clouds dissolving in the sky<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Interior Bedroom\u2014Lower Level, the Self:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Remove &amp; replace aggrandizement with selflessness, including the closet<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Remove &amp; replace all carpet, toxic masculinity, and baseboards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Remove &amp; repair general positivity, windowsill extensions, and moldings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Remove &amp; reinstall long walks with dog and electric heaters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Reseed lawn &amp; revisit relationship with mother<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This appraisal of damage repair does not include sobriety efforts or the replacement of spring mix in the diet, tile work in the bathroom, or early morning prayers to a higher power. Also, this appraisal assumes that the subflooring on the main floor has not been severely damaged due to excessive pacing caused by general mismanagement of self-care or uncertainty about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This proposal is to furnish the necessary materials &amp; labor to perform the described damage repairs in the amount of the weightless soul &amp;\/or equal to a lifetime of payments in weekly installments of panic, anxiety, and general regret caused by social miscues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">If you have questions or concerns, that\u2019s normal; although doubt will do what you hope it won\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Bryce Berkowitz, President of Self<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">BB\/bb Encl. Itemized Repair Estimate<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Bryce Berkowitz<\/strong> is the author of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/42milespress.com\/2019\/07\/20\/2019-42-miles-press-poetry-award-winner\/\">Bermuda Ferris Wheel<\/a>, <\/em>winner of the 42 Miles Press Poetry Award (forthcoming 2020). His short story \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.semopress.com\/big-muddy-announces-winner-and-finalists-of-the-2019-mighty-river-short-story-contest\/\">Payback for Mongoose Charlie<\/a>\u201d recently won the 2019 <em>Big Muddy <\/em>| Southeast Missouri State Mighty River Short Story Contest. He teaches at Butler University. He can be reached at his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bryceberkowitz.com\/\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>__________<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"438\" height=\"211\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg 438w, https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">&lt;&lt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2020\/05\/22\/drivers-ed-by-david-armand\/\">Back<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2020\/05\/18\/the-sound-by-weston-morrow\/https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2020\/05\/18\/the-sound-by-weston-morrow\/\">Next<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To learn more about submitting your work to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/boudin-submissions\/\">Boudin<\/a><\/em> or applying to McNeese State University&#8217;s Creative Writing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/mfa-application-submissions\/\">MFA program<\/a>, please visit Submissions for details.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bryce Berkowitz __________ Broad Ripple, Toxic Masculinity, &amp; The Uber Driver That Asked About the Snow To: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Isn\u2019t it always the father, the mother?From:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Isn\u2019t it always the man behind the drapes?Date: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; They didn\u2019t even know it was my birthday.Subject:&nbsp;&nbsp; Broad Ripple, Toxic Masculinity, &amp; The Uber Driver That Asked About the Snow&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[252,40],"tags":[75,98,77,42],"class_list":["post-13750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boudin-2020","category-hybrid","tag-boudin","tag-bryceberkowitz","tag-mcneesereview","tag-hybrid"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13750"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22362,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13750\/revisions\/22362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}