What was so special about Wichita Falls that all of its 1,154 hotel beds were occupied?
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What was so special about Wichita Falls that all of its 1,154 hotel beds were occupied?
Sign in to Granta.com.
‘I think there should be a National Service of Hospitality. The best way to see the true face of humanity is to serve it a plate of chips.’
Camilla Grudova on bad-mannered customers.
‘Anyone who has ever worked night shifts will understand the vertiginous feeling that comes with staring down the day from the wrong end.’
A.K. Blakemore on working nights.
‘I was constantly reading job ads, trying to find my holy grail – a job I could stand to do, and someone foolish enough to hire me.’
Sandra Newman on learning how to play professional blackjack.
‘I loved being a receptionist. What I loved about it was playing the part of being a receptionist.’
Emily Berry on being a temporary office worker.
‘Every part of you would swell, including your eyeballs, and no matter how much water you drank, you were always dehydrated.’
Junot Díaz on working for a steel mill.
Duncan McLean was born in Aberdeenshire, lives in Okney and dreams of Texas. He is the author of two novels and a collection of stories. Lone Star Swing: On the Trail of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, from which ‘A Good Man is Hard to Find’ (Granta 56) is an extract.
More about the author →
‘At night her friends let loose and relax.’
Photography by Vera Yijun Zhou of house parties and clubs in Hangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing.
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Our most-read poetry in 2024, featuring work by Momtaza Mehri, Sylvia Legris and Najwan Darwish.
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