The Meadow Annual Literary Arts Journal 2018

Pleasurable Death ( For Alexander Barry & Cosmo Buono, whose efforts bring music to all of us) Jhon Sánchez The Friday that Xavier was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he drove his cab like any other day. He cursed when he heard the radio announcement about the concert at Eternal Vibrato Concert Hall. Pleasurable Death’s Concerts are expected to have their highest fatality rate in history this autumn. The percentage of people that would perish will be as high as 96%. The cheapest ticket has reached 70,000. A fortune but a complete sell-out… Xavier’s car needed a change of oil. She had been a good car, and sometimes he would talk to her as if she were his dog or confidant. But today, he didn’t want to tell her anything. He thought, She already knows. She always knew. This car could get sick as well. He pondered for a second trying to get her fixed, but he didn’t want to go all the way to Queens, to the greasy overalls of the mechanics. He wanted to keep his mind blank, but the radio continued. Hundred of thousands takes the streets to demand Pleasurable Death’s Concerts for all. We bring you the highlights from tonight’s broadcast of the protest in front of the Eternal Vibrato Concert Hall. We speak to ones who will attend, like Oscar-winning actress Lisa Justin, one of the leading proponents of bringing the concerts to death row prisoners. This is Lisa Justin: “Many think that to grant the concert to death row prisoners is a reward, like some kind of prize. It is NOT. Losing your life is punishment enough. If the State can kill you, if a The Meadow 103