Rules For AI in Creative Work

When Lewis Carroll wrote *Alice in Wonderland*, he was not trying to trick you into believing that somewhere in England, a talking cat was dispensing Zen-like wisdom to passersby.
The Cheshire Cat was a vehicle for the wisdom.
When the love of your life cheated on you during your sophomore year of college and said, “They’re just a friend,” they were trying to get you to distrust what you were seeing with your own eyes.

Pink Suitcase

“What’s waiting for you in Tucson?” 

Julie proceeds to explain her life: “I teach tennis, it’s my passion. My husband is in finance, he’s always gone, but I keep busy running my two daughters around to ballet and track practice.”

Her name isn’t Julie, to her, but it is to me. All women who live like this are named Julie. 

“What about you?”

“I work in grey market pharmaceuticals”

“I’m a special adviser to the Swiss Consulate in Chicago”

“I’m an adult film actor”

“I teach 3rd grade”

I ponder the possibilities. 

Hotel Casi

She imagines him sitting in the club chair in the corner. 
She sips more wine. 
She caresses her legs again. Do you like that, Jeff? 
Warmth rushes through her body. 
Do you want to see more, Jeff? 

Gift of Tongues

Where the fuck did you put MY METFORMIN YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH I TOLD YOU NOT TO MESS WITH MY MEDICINE AND CIGARETTES!!!” is what she means.

Icarus’s Mirror

That night I shared my plan with her: “I know you’ve had a hard week. I’m sending a massage therapist to your room tomorrow. Sebastian will be there at 2pm.”

“Oh my god, really? You are so sweet.”
He offers all kinds of massages, all kinds of approaches. He can even give you a “pectoral massage”.

Everything You Were Looking For

She picked one up without thinking. 

As she wrapped her fingers around it, his text from last night replayed in her mind, jolting her into a realization of how she was actually holding the vegetable. 

Self conscious, she snapped out of it. 

She quickly forgave herself. There was nobody around.

She picked up another cucumber, this time, holding it more imaginatively. 

Unapologetically. 

At its peak ripeness,  every one of its cells were full of water. It was heavy. If it were a balloon, it would burst – but the dutiful cucumber held its water for the moment when someone would devour it. 

The cucumber reminded her of him. His urgency.

His dimensionality.

His voice. The way he looks at her when she’s being bold.