PEE ON WATER
"Pee on Water" is a short story by Rachel B. Glaser. It is about the evolution of the Earth. Within Glaser's writing she is very crude and states provocative and taboo statements. When reading this short story, it can become very confusing. I found myself zoning out many times, but becoming intrigued again when she stated things like “Boobs get bigger to remind males what butts felt like.” I found myself wondering, “why put this into a story about evolution?” This lead me to come to the realization that this story is much more than just the evolution of the earth. Glaser wrote about the infinite kinds of intimacies between the sun and the rocks, animals, the sky, and human beings. It’s the intimacy between everything and anything this world has ever offered.
So how do I achieve showing intimacy through design?
Use handwriting.
There is nothing more raw and more real than handwriting
Give a point of view.
The story is designed to be a written diary by earth. This is earth taking off it’s mask and showing it’s true, crude, and raw self to the reader.
Have it in the form of toilet paper.
What’s more intimate than toilet paper? Toilet paper is also a delicate material. If handled too roughly it will break. The reader has to handle the book with care. Toilet paper, once unrolled can never be put back the same, just like once someone is intimate with another, they can never view that person the same way again.
Location.
Where can one read this book with no disturbance and in privacy? The bathroom. It is intimate, unvarnished, and a place to pause, think, and take time to really read and understand the story.
