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The Long-Winded Lady


Synopsis


From 1954 to 1981, Maeve Brennan wrote for The New Yorker's "Talk of the Town" department under the pen name "The Long-Winded Lady." Her unforgettable sketches-prose snapshots of life in small restaurants, cheap hotels, and crowded streets of Times Square and the Village-together form a timeless, bittersweet tribute to what she called the "most reckless, most ambitious, most confused, most comical, the saddest and coldest and most human of cities." First published in 1969, The Long-Winded Lady is a celebration of one of The New Yorker's finest writers.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Talkative Typist

* Summary:
* The narrator, a busy office worker, shares his frustration with his highly talkative co-worker, Eleanor.
* Eleanor constantly interrupts him with lengthy conversations that derail his work.
* Real-life Example:
* The narrator could be a software developer who is trying to debug a complex code, while Eleanor keeps interrupting with personal stories about her weekend.

Chapter 2: The Chatty Cashier

* Summary:
* The narrator goes to a grocery store and is faced with an overly chatty cashier, Brenda.
* Brenda bombards him with questions and anecdotes, making the checkout process painfully slow.
* Real-life Example:
* The narrator could be a customer who is in a hurry to get home and cook dinner, but Brenda insists on sharing her entire life story while scanning his groceries.

Chapter 3: The Loquacious Librarian

* Summary:
* The narrator visits a library to find a book, but he is met with a talkative librarian, Ms. Washington.
* Ms. Washington gives him detailed recommendations and shares her opinions on various authors, making it hard for him to locate the book he needs.
* Real-life Example:
* The narrator could be a student who is pressed for time and needs a specific book for his research paper, but Ms. Washington insists on engaging him in a bibliography discussion.

Chapter 4: The Garrulous Grandparent

* Summary:
* The narrator visits his grandmother, who is known for her endless talking.
* His grandmother shares a series of anecdotes, reminisces about her youth, and asks countless questions, leaving him feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.
* Real-life Example:
* The narrator could be a young adult who is spending a weekend with his grandmother, but their conversations are dominated by her constant storytelling.

Chapter 5: The Verbose Valedictorian

* Summary:
* The narrator attends a graduation ceremony and is subjected to an overly long speech by the valedictorian, Emily.
* Emily's speech rambles on for hours, filled with platitudes, anecdotes, and personal reflections.
* Real-life Example:
* The narrator could be a guest at a high school graduation, where the valedictorian's speech feels interminable and detracts from the celebratory atmosphere.

Chapter 6: The Prolix Professor

* Summary:
* The narrator takes a university course taught by a loquacious professor, Dr. Carter.
* Dr. Carter digresses frequently, goes on tangents, and tells personal anecdotes during his lectures, making it difficult for students to follow the material.
* Real-life Example:
* The narrator could be a student in a history class, where Dr. Carter spends half the lecture discussing his travels to obscure historical sites.

Chapter 7: The Circumlocutory Politician

* Summary:
* The narrator listens to a speech by a politician, who is known for using excessive and roundabout language.
* The politician avoids answering questions directly, uses vague and evasive phrases, and rambles on at length without providing any meaningful information.
* Real-life Example:
* The narrator could be a citizen attending a town hall meeting, where the mayor or other elected officials deliver circumlocutory responses to concerns raised by residents.

Chapter 8: The Eloquent Enigma

* Summary:
* The narrator encounters a person who is both intelligent and talkative, but whose conversations are filled with cryptic language, ambiguous references, and enigmatic statements.
* This person leaves the narrator feeling confused and bewildered, unable to fully comprehend what is being communicated.
* Real-life Example:
* The narrator could be a journalist interviewing an enigmatic CEO, who provides elusive and evasive answers to questions about the company's financial performance.