All My Friends Are Superheroes (9 page)

‘What would make this perfect?’ he whispers.

The Perfectionist stops. She turns her head, slightly, in his direction. Fifty feet. Tom whispers again, even softer, even quieter.

‘Perf, what would make this moment perfect?’

He leans his forehead against hers. Their foreheads touch. Without making a sound, Tom mouths the words again, ‘What would make this perfect?’

And she sees him.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author wishes to thank:

Shirley Kaufman, Rolly Kaufman and Liz Kaufman for decades of support and encouragement. We are a family so nuclear we glow.

Zachariah Pickard, Suzanne Matczuk and especially Alana Wilcox whose brilliant ideas and insights into the editing of this book were so accurate and knowing the reader thinks it’s all me.

Allen Sherwood, Andy Pedersen, Tom Barkhouse, Stephanie Domet, Matt Tunnacliffe, Chris Boyce and everybody at
DNTO
, Rob McLaughlin and everybody at
CBC
Radio 3, Karrie North, Karen and Barry Miazga, Ian McInnis, Jason McBride, Sheila Heti, Nora Young and Marc Forrest for support over the long, long, long haul.

And, of course, Marlo Miazga (a superhero name if ever there was one).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew Kaufman is a writer, filmmaker and radio producer. His writing has appeared on the McSweeney’s website. He has completed a Director’s Residency at the Canadian Film Centre and studied under Tim O’Brien at the Humber School for Writers. His film
Aberistiwith
is distributed by Cinema Libre, and screened at festivals across Canada and Europe.
Worst Date of My Life
, a halfhour short film, was specially commissioned by
CBC
Television. He currently works as a producer for
CBC
Radio 3.

Typeset in Galliard and printed and bound at the Coach House on bpNichol Lane, 2003

Edited and designed by Alana Wilcox

Proofread by Gil Adamson

Author photo, page 111, is by Karrie North

Cover design by Ian McInnis

Cover photo is from the City of Toronto Archives (Fonds 1244, Item 1028G)

Coach House Books
401 Huron Street (rear) on bpNichol Lane
Toronto, Ontario
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1 800 367 6360

[email protected]
www.chbooks.com

Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

One. Designated Waiting Area

Two. All His Friends Are Superheroes

Three. Ambrose Heart-Repair Service

Four. Regulars

Five. The Anxiety Monster

Six. Take-Off

Seven. The Superheroes of Toronto

Eight. The First Night of Invisibility

Nine. Six Hundred Cigarettes Later

Ten. Tasks #5 To #7

Eleven. The Two Boxes

Twelve. Find Your Own Superhero Name

Thirteen. Beginning Descent

Fourteen. The Button Factory Gallery

Fifteen. Tense

Sixteen. Invisibility

Seventeen. Minimalist Apartment

Eighteen. Landing

Acknowledgements

About the Author