IJ study archive

JOI's father delivers the garage monologue — "that lady with the upturned nose…"

quote

that lady with the upturned nose on tiptoe all the time I have to tell you she seemed so consummate east-side Tucsonian all self-consciously not of this earth’s grit urging us to quote nurture your optical knack with physics

Context

The mocked east-side research librarian is the one adult in the scene who has correctly identified the boy: "nurture your optical knack with physics" is the actual curriculum of JOI's life, delivered here inside the father's sneer at her.

In anthology