Sullivan outs himself: We took a look at Sullivan's latest
dispatch. Here it is: (You don't have to bother to read it)
A WINTER'S TALE: I guess I passed a milestone this week. As the winter closes in, Provincetown gets a little bleaker each day. It's truly odd living in a resort town. From 50,000 inhabitants in the summer to 3,000 or so in the winter, it almost becomes a different town as autumn ends. The cafes close down; the stores shut; there are times when I almost feel as if I'm on Survivor, as each friend or acquaintance gets kicked off the island. To add to the weirdness, they're currently constructing the town's first real sewer - so much of the main street is dug up, with sand and soil in heaps and tracks all over town. Squint your eyes and the winding, uneven, muddied street could be of a century ago. But the solitude is also intoxicating. As I write this, I'm looking out at the dark bay, a lighthouse blinking in the distance, in my room on a wharf which has just had its water supply turned off to keep the pipes from freezing over. The boyfriend, beagle and I now live in a friend's house nearby, with water and a fireplace. I make a short walk each morning to the water's edge to begin the work day. It's simple living - but I am extraordinarily lucky to be able to live and work this way. And after twelve years of continuous living in Washington, it's healthy to take a break, to get some distance. When January comes, even the boyfriend will have to leave and we'll resume the long-distance thing. But I've decided to try and stick it out here by myself. I have a few friends still around, a dog, a fireplace, more books than I could possibly read, and cable television and DSL. More and more people are living here in the winter and I don't feel like a true townie in any sense until I've lost my Ptown winter virginity and stayed through the dark months. Besides, I'm going to be forty next year (gulp) and some solitude - which is different than loneliness - can only do me good. With the blog, it's also impossible to feel that lonely. Which is why, today, I'd like to say thanks to all of you for making this whole enterprise possible and coming back day after day to check in. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Okay, so what's the big deal? Well, not too many people know this, but there are secret messages buried inside his weblog entries. These emanate from his subconscious; even Sullivan doesn't realize he's doing it. Anyway, we shall use his latest post as an example. Take the first three sentences:
I guess I passed a milestone this week. As the winter closes in, Provincetown gets a little bleaker each day. It's truly odd living in a resort town.
Now examine the 1
st letter in each word, and skip over the padding:
I guess I passed a milestone this week. As the winter closes in, Provincetown gets a little bleaker each day. It's truly odd living in a resort town.
And you get:I am a liar.
Can you believe it?
Next time: We decode Michael Kelly's essays, and in the process discover who is really writing his material!
posted by Quiddity at 11/26/2002 11:26:00 PM 
