Desire Lines: Walking through the World, One Step at a Time

I've been working on the short story collection for which I've had a grant this year, called Desire Lines: A Geography of Love.  I think I've got a suite of 10 stories about the various aspects of love, between friends, lovers, parents, and children.  They're still in a rough state, but it's time to thank the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec for their encouragement.  In a couple of weeks, I'll write up my report and send it off with much appreciation.

But this morning I went walking throught the vacant land near the railroad tracks that got me thinking.  Desire lines are what urban planners call the paths that people make on their own when they want to get to a place.  They don't follow straight lines usually, and certainly they are not consciously thought out.  But they record where people pass, and give a hint about what their aims are.

This picture was taken of the field a little later in the season two years ago, but I'm happy to report that the feet of many people have kept the paths open, as individual desires continue to change the urban landscape.