Memorial Day

Abstract

Memorial Day is a collection of six short stories. The narratives take place in various periods, from the nineteen fifties to present times, and in diverse geographical settings: the United States, France, and Brazil. They involve different characters, men and women, children and adults, yet share a central theme: how one-time romantic encounters or sex-related experiences have been defining existential moments for the protagonists. The experience of Eros is built in the present, as few others are. While living it, one loses track of time and ceases to be concerned with past or future. However, once revisited through the lens of time passed, it often acquires a different color and a new meaning. As Julian Barnes wrote: “Love: The only story.”