Are our possessions, our things, our stuff a measuring
stick for who we are? Can a moldy old box of polyester
pants and kindergarten drawings tell our story after we're
long gone? When Flannery Parker's mother died, she
challenged her only daughter to find her "self." But what
does that really mean? Armed only with her mother's
tattered copy of LEAVES OF GRASS, Flan lets Walt
Whitman be her guide as she digs through other people's
lost treasures after winning them at self-storage auctions.
A broken mirror here, a stash of old baby clothes there,
and finally a box painted with bright colors and swirls of
hope that only contains a remnant of paper with the
word "Yes."
With only that small word to drive her, Flan sets out to
find what makes her say "Yes." She isn't sure it's her
husband, who only pretends to work on his thesis while
watching soap operas and smoking pot instead of helping her
watch their children. Their house and neighborhood might be
a "Yes," filled with the rich scent of spices coming from
the windows of all the multi-ethnic kitchens on her block.
Her next door neighbors inspire her curiosity: they are
recent transplants from Afghanistan in a post 9/11 America.
The husband is rarely seen outside the house, while his
wife makes hurried runs to the market in a full burqa
despite the sweltering summer heat. Could they be the
answer to her "Yes"question?
A clever story wrapped inside Whitman's soothing and
seductive poetry, Gayle Brandeis showcases a less
than perfect mother who struggles to do the best she can
for her family while still trying to maintain a semblance
of self. With racial tensions running high and the politics
of a nation under fire banging on everyone's front door,
SELF STORAGE reminds us that love, faith and courage comes
in all sorts of packages. Even those that simply say "Yes."
Flan Parker has always had an inquisitive mind, searching
for what’s hidden below the surface and behind the door.
Her curious nature and enthusiastic probing have translated
into a thriving resale business in the university housing
complex where she lives with her husband and two young
children. Flan’s venture helps pay the bills while her
husband works on his dissertation, work that lately seems
to involve more loafing on the sofa watching soap operas
than reading or writing. The secret of her enterprising
success: unique and everyday treasures bought from the
auctions of forgotten and abandoned storage units.
When Flan secures the winning bid on a box filled only with
an address and a note bearing the word “yes,” she sets out
to discover the source of this mysterious message and its
meaning. Armed with a well-worn copy of Walt Whitman’s
Leaves of Grass that she turns to for guidance and solace,
Flan becomes determined to find the “yes” in her own life.
This search inward only strengthens her desire to unearth
the hidden stories of those around her–in particular, her
burqa-clad Afghan neighbor. Flan’s interest in this
intriguing and secretive woman, however, comes at a
formidable price for Flan and her family.
Set during the year following the September 11 attacks,
Self Storage explores the raw insecurities of a changed
society. With lush writing, great humor, and a genuine
heart, Gayle Brandeis takes a peek into the souls of a
woman and a community–and reveals that it is not our
differences that drive us apart but our willful concealment
of the qualities that connect us.
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