Ana Maria’s (name changed) lips tremble as she tells me about her seven-year old daughter who asks where her mother is every night. A couple of years ago, Ana Maria’s husband was deported and now, her daughter’s worst fear has come true: her mother is in detention and will probably be deported as well. Ana Maria has been living in Arizona for over ten years and her only criminal charges are two DUI’s. If she were an American citizen, these DUI’s may have meant that she would have gone to jail for a few months and then returned to her life. However, as an undocumented person, these charges make her a priority for deportation and separation from her daughter.

I crested a traffic-clogged slope onto the Hill of the Capitol
Dave Lewis on CD filled in for the corporate radio
Bouncing off the rainbow sidewalks and the cracker-box condos
I waved, but they stared coldly back through a hundred blind windows

Pieces of you infiltrate my body like splinters
Memories

                        Your hand in           my hair

                                                     My head in        your lap

puncture through layers of resistant skin
unwanted thoughts

Niels Lyhne is a novel that fits many moods but rather defies generic classification. If you’re in the mood for something artistic and don’t mind being pretentious about it, you can say that you’re reading it on Rilke’s recommendation. Its author, Jens Peter Jacobsen, was a favorite of the poet. Rilke speaks more often about Jacobsen’s novellas in his letters, but sadly, they proved quite difficult to find in an English translation, so I settled for second best. (The translator, Tiina Nunnally, deserves special applause here. Translators are always underappreciated.) If you’ve read much either about Rilke or written by him, it will be fairly apparent why he lauds such exuberant praise on the novel. Originally written in Danish in 1880, the prose style is incredibly descriptive; some might say needlessly so. Jacobsen has a metaphor for everything and is exquisitely articulate. If you’re not into an elaborate writing style, my advice is to skip this one. But, if springtime on campus has gotten you in the mood for something a little more flowery, look no further!

After numerous requests for a platonic issue of Miss Lonely Hearts, I’ve teamed up with my friend Agony Aunt from PSU’s column “Ask Auntie” to tackle three of your most-asked questions.

Dear Miss Lonely Hearts,

I befriended my bestie within a few weeks of freshman year and we’re still close to this day, years later. We’ve been through thick and thin together, and recently I’ve started to develop feelings for them. I worry that I might ruin our relationship, so I try to play it cool, but I can’t enjoy our hang out sessions because I’m so nervous. What should I do?

Sincerely,
Bewitched Bestie