an article/project about abandoned suitcases.
i’ve worked with mentally ill folks and the stuff they packed was fascinating. in my days in the ER doing psych assessments, i would ask to see their suitcases. you can tell a lot by the manner in which a bag is packed and, also, by who packed it. there’s a lotta love in a schizophrenic’s suitcase packed by his elderly mother.
one of my most memorable suitcases was actually a handbag, circa 1960s, in which a delightful older woman packed bright orange lipsticks along with an arthritic barbie doll she’d dressed in hand-knit barbie clothing. “just in case my granddaughter comes to visit,” she explained. she didn’t know where she was but she was anticipating a visit.
barbies and lipsticks. fuck of a way to live one’s life.
what’s in your suitcase? and what’s the name of your favourite lipstick?
PS everlasting plum