Bodies and Works

Every time, we invariably begin the same exchange—that which does not belong to good does not necessarily have to belong to evil. In this world exist many languages that support the will to not belong to either side, but to merely remain in a state of chaos. Since long ago, I have taken these shapeless things, these things of a middle disposition, and gathered them into my own body, while lightly burning away in my heart those things with clearly discernible contours—the easy-to-understand parts that I perceive at first glance as things that are unequivocally not good.

—Yoko Ogawa, Toshiyuki Horie, Then, Just Add One More Stamp

每一次，我們也總是展開一樣的對答——不屬於善的，不見得必屬於惡。這世上存在著許多支承著不願屬於任何一方，只願停留在混沌狀態意志的語言。從以前，我就會把這種沒有特定形狀、屬於中間氣質的東西先收進自己身體裡面，將第一直覺就能看清輪廓的、容易了解的部分視為毋寧是非善之物，在心中輕輕燒去。

小川洋子，堀江敏幸《接著，只要再貼上一枚郵票》