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otherwise silent； watching houses slide into the ocean； whole villages crackle and ignite in a mass of advancing lava。 Every disaster made us wish for more； for something bigger； grander； more sweeping。
I walked into my office on Monday to find Murray sitting in the chair adjacent to the desk； like someone waiting for a nurse to arrive with a blood…pressure gauge。 He'd been having trouble； he said； establishing an Elvis Presley power base in the department of American environments。 The chairman； Alfonse Stompanato； seemed to feel that one of the other instructors； a three…hundred…pound former rock 'n' roll bodyguard named Dimitrios Cotsakis； had established prior right by having flown to Memphis when the King died； interviewed members of the King's entourage and family； been interviewed himself on local television as an Interpreter of the Phenomenon。
A more than middling coup； Murray conceded。 I suggested that I might drop by his next lecture； informally； unannounced； simply to lend a note of consequence to the proceedings； to give him the benefit of whatever influence and prestige might reside in my office； my subject； my physical person。 He nodded slowly； fingering the ends of his beard。
Later at lunch I spotted only one empty chair； at a table occupied by the New York émigrés。 Alfonse sat at the head of the table； a manding presence even in a campus lunchroom。 He was large； sardonic； dark…staring； with scarred brows and a furious beard fringed in gray。 It was the very beard I would have grown in 1969 if Janet Savory； my second wife； Heinrich's mother； hadn't argued against it。 〃Let them see that bland expanse；〃 she said； in her tiny dry voice。 〃It is more effective than you think。〃
Alfonse invested everything he did with a sense of all…consuming purpose。 He knew four languages； had a photographic memory； did plex mathematics in his head。 He'd once told me that the art of getting ahead in New York was based on learning how to express dissatisfaction in an interesting way。 The air was full of rage and plaint。 People had no tolerance for your particular hardship unless you knew how to entertain them with it。 Alfonse himself was occasionally entertaining in a pulverizing way。 He had a manner that enabled him to absorb and destroy all opinions in conflict with his。 When he talked about popular culture； he exercised the closed logic of a religious zealot； one who kills for his beliefs。 His breathing grew heavy； arrhythmic； his brows seemed to lock。 The other émigrés appeared to find his challenges and taunts a proper context for their endeavor。 They used his office to pitch pennies to the wall。
I said to him； 〃Why is it； Alfonse； that decent； well…meaning and responsible people find themselves intrigued by catastrophe when they see it on television？〃
I told him about the recent evening of lava； mud and raging water that the children and I had found so entertaining。
We wanted more； more。
〃It's natural； it's normal；〃 he said； with a reassuring nod。 〃It happens to everybody。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Because we're suffering from brain fade。 We need an occasional catastrophe to break up the incessant bombardment of information。〃
〃It's obvious；〃 Lasher said。 A slight man with a taut face and slicked…back hair。
〃The flow is constant；〃 Alfonse said。 〃Words； pictures； numbers； facts； graphics； statistics； specks； waves； particles； motes。 Only a catastrophe gets our attention。 We want them； we need them； we depend on them。 As long as they happen somewhere else。 This is where California es in。 Mud slides； brush fires； coastal erosion； earthquakes； mass killings； et cetera。 We can relax and enjoy these disasters because in our hearts we feel that California deserves whatever it gets。 Californians invented the concept of life…style。 This alone warrants their doom。〃
Cotsakis crushed a can of Diet Pepsi and threw it at a garbage pail。
〃Japan is pretty good for disaster footage；〃 Alfonse said。 〃India remains largely untapped。 They have tremendous potential with their famines； monsoons； religious strife； train wrecks； boat sinkings； et cetera。 But their disasters tend to go unrecorded。 Three lines in the newspaper。 No film footage； no satellite hookup。 This is why California is so important。 We not only enjoy seeing them punished for their relaxed life…style and progressive social ideas but we know we're not missing anything。 The cameras are right there。 They're standing by。 Nothing terrible escapes their scrutiny。〃
〃You're saying it's more or less universal； to be fascinated by TV disasters。〃
〃For most people there are only two places in the world。 Where they live and their TV set。 If a thing happens on television； we have every right to find it fascinating； whatever it is。〃
〃I don't know whether to feel good or bad about learning that my experience is widely shared。〃
〃Feel bad；〃 he said。
〃It's obvious；〃 Lasher said。 〃We all feel bad。 But we can enjoy it on that level。〃
Murray said； 〃This is what es from the wrong kind of attentiveness。 People get brain fade。 This is because they've forgotten how to listen and look as children。 They've forgotten how to collect data。 In the psychic sense a forest fire on TV is on a lower plane than a ten…second spot for Automatic Dishwasher All。 The mercial has deeper waves； deeper emanations。 But we have reversed the relative significance of these things。 This is why people's eyes； ears； brains and nervous systems have grown weary。 It's a simple case of misuse。〃
Grappa casually tossed half a buttered roll at Lasher； hitting him on the shoulder。 Grappa was pale and baby…fattish and the tossed roll was an attempt to get Lasher's attention。
Grappa said to him； 〃Did you ever brush your teeth with your finger？〃
〃I brushed my teeth with my finger the first time I stayed overnight at my wife's parents' house； before we were married； when her parents spent a weekend at Asbury Park。 They were an Ipana family。〃
〃Forgetting my toothbrush is a fetish with me；〃 Cotsakis said。 〃I brushed my teeth with my finger at Woodstock； Altamont； Monterey； about a dozen other seminal events。〃
Grappa looked at Murray。
〃I