‘I, Buffalo’ by Vauhini Vara

I, Buffalo by Vauhini Vara, 2013

The magic trick:

Adjusting the narration throughout the story depending on how much the narrator has had to drink

We’re going to do a weekend double with Vauhini Vara’s excellent recent story collection This Is Salvaged.

“I, Buffalo” does something pretty remarkable. Its narrator has fallen into a cycle of depression and alcoholism. That’s not the remarkable part. What is amazing is the way her narration ebbs and flows mid-story in front of the reader depending on how much she’s had to drink. The story encompasses a single day. She wakes up hungover and groggy, half-awake riding a city bus. She sharpens up during the initial moments of her sister’s visit. The narration follows suit, moving in a more linear, logical direction. Then she has a few martinis, and we see her thoughts get a bit more random and impulsive.

They say it’s surprisingly difficult for an actor to act drunk in a movie. I’d think it’s even more challenging to write “drunk” with this much nuance and touch.

And that’s quite a trick on Vara’s part.

The selection:

Priya burped. “Oh, God,” she said. “I’m tipsy.”

“Are you kidding?” I said. “You’re not drunk.”

I hated those women who would have two drinks and claim to be wasted. Oh, my delicate constitution! I couldn’t believe my little sister had turned into one of them. She used to be fun; she used to be able to keep up with me.

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