Pulse

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‘East Wind’, ‘Trespass’, ‘The Limner’ and ‘Complicity’ first appeared in The New Yorker; ‘At Phil and Joanna’s 1: 60/40’ and ‘Sleeping with John Updike’ in the Guardian; ‘At Phil and Joanna’s 2: Marmalade’ in the Sunday Times; ‘Harmony’ in Granta. ‘Marriage Lines’ began as a radio commission for Alan Howard’s voice in 2007, and was later published by Granta.

THE PREVIOUS NOVEMBER, a row of wooden beach huts, their paintwork lifted and flaked by the hard east wind, had burnt to the ground. The fire brigade came from twelve miles away, and had nothing to do by the time it arrived. Yobs on Rampage, the local paper decided; though no culprit was ever found. An architect from a more fashionable part of the coastline told the regional TV news that the huts were part of the town’s social heritage, and must be rebuilt. The council announced that it would consider all options, but since then had done nothing.

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