Nonfiction | February 11, 2020

“How old are you?” local guides and drivers asked as I caned up and down hills and wobbled through woodlands. When I answered—seventy-two—they said, “That’s very old in Vanuatu,” or “You must be very strong.” I wasn’t feeling strong. In airports, adults and children would stop and ask, “Sir, are you all right?”

If you are a student, faculty member, or staff member at an institution whose library subscribes to Project Muse, you can read this piece and the full archives of the Missouri Review for free. Check this list to see if your library is a Project Muse subscriber.

SEE THE ISSUE

SUGGESTED CONTENT