“By turns

Dec 6, 2024 | goodgoodgood.co | “By turns |Meghan Cook

In the town of Bishop’s Castle, England, a peculiar shop called the Poetry Pharmacy is taking walk-ins and giving consultations — but in lieu of prescribing medication, the “pharmacists” offer hand-rolled lines of poetry. “In each of the pill capsules that you can see, there are extracts from poems,” shop owner Deborah Alma told NBC News anchor Kelly Cobiella. “By turns, a stone is grown in you, and then a star,” Cobiella read aloud. “Oh,” she paused, turning to Alma.

Apr 10, 2024 | yalereview.org | “By turns |John Barth

Midafternoon midlife lovers, postcoitally lassitudinous and sweat-wet, skin to skin. Presently: “Explain love to me.”Mm? “Love: Explain.”That’d take some doing. “So do.”Presently: The phenomenon in general? Or us-here-in-this-bed-on-a-weekday-afternoon-in-October? “Your pleasure. Just explain, please.”Wuff. We may have to go back a bit. Perspective . . . “So go. I have a long attention span.”You do. “Wait. . . .“Presently: Well. In the beginning—“So far, so good.”On with the story?