Marina Blitshteyn came to the US as a refugee in 1991. She is the author of 4 published or forthcoming chapbooks: Russian for Lovers (Argos Books); Nothing Personal (Bone Bouquet Books); $kill$ (dancing girl press); Sheet Music (Sunnyoutside Press). She works as an adjunct instructor of composition and literature. The AmericansPhilip used to live in a small house like this too,he said his dad worked a lot growing up—nowthey have a reading room that overlooks the garden,the jacuzzi, the hearth on which they bonfire,a hammock Philip loves to lounge on in the summerin between the starbucks runs and the cabin up in ski country—when I see him he exits his lexussatisfied, he pays for all the drinks and lovesto talk with me about class issues—you know it never leaves you, I tell him, even whenyou get degrees and hobnob with the elders,and as hard as I think I climb I know I’ll neverrun the country like the others—I’m not disagreeing with you, he says, and maybehe gets it because he lived in a small house once like ours
