A small room above a bay window. A single bed, a table and chair, and a sink. I could manage something larger, with more conveniences, but I could never match the view.

Ah, the mail has come. A cheque, a bill, and what's this -- the book I ordered?

Benjamin Moser's new translation of The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector, published by New Directions Press.

"All the world began with a yes. One molecule said yes to another molecule and life was born."