The Burning Shores of California

A story about my early days trying to make it in the Bay, part I

Dial by Philip Guston, 1956

Sitting in the front seat of my car, I took one last hit from the glass pipe. Slowly, I drew the smoke past the lungs deep into my belly, holding it there for just a moment. I closed my eyes, tasting something like happiness—before I let it all go.