Einstein in the patent office
After the layoffs, we talk about it a lot, the
thing that should've been obvious but wasn't
always. We decide we need a shorthand for
it, something shiny and eye-catching and
optimistic. Though there are other options –
Frank O'Hara writing whole books on his
lunch break, for example – we settle
on "Einstein in the patent office", which is proof
that, despite all evidence to the contrary, we just
can't help but believe ourselves to be Very Important.
We imagine Einstein clocking in, filing paperwork,
getting yelled at by men with bad ideas, and we
are soothed. I read in a magazine about a fashion
trend they're calling "stealth wealth", which is
basically having and spending lots of money, but
in a way which is only discernible to other very
rich people. And, let me tell you, once you know
it exists, you start to see it everywhere.
Kate Hewett (she/her) is a queer poet, writer, live arts organiser and customer service advisor based in the North of England. She is the co-founder of Hand Mirror and writes about queerness, always. She is on Instagram at @kateleahhewett and online here: https://www.handmirror.online.
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