The Collagist on All Waiting Is Long
January 31, 2024
Excerpt from The Collagist
There’s a scene near the end of All Waiting is Long by Barbara J. Taylor where Lily, one of the main characters, is attending a lecture hosted by a religious group for high-society women. The speaker is Dr. Peters, an obstetrician who is also part of the eugenics movement. As he begins to explain his philosophy, that poor women should be sterilized because their genetic lines should be ended, Lily is horrified. This sounds cruel to her. She assumes those around her recognize this, too. She assumes that those around her see it as a fringe position, a radical one that no fair and free society would embrace. Then she looks up and sees all those around her nodding along …
