"Hot Spot," by Nora Lange
Briefly

A younger sister struggles with joblessness while her older brother supports her financially. During a phone call, he scolds her for lacking responsibility, having canceled her internet but continuing to pay her phone bill. The sister reflects on their sibling bond, aware of her brother's need to feel superior and resourceful. Despite her challenges, she contemplates her identity as an artist and her connection to the Futurist movement. Her brother offers practical advice, showing a technological savvy that she admires but also critiques, revealing tensions in their relationship.
The sister was at her desk with the view of the park and on the phone with the brother. He was scolding her during their weekly check-in call.
The sister resisted mentioning that he would bail her out. He worshipped the feeling. He would succumb to this need.
The brother had been the one to suggest that the sister use her phone as a hot spot. His knowing something about technology made him feel in touch.
She thought the point was to be an artist. Hot spot, the term, had her thinking about Futurism, a movement in art that centered on hyper-everything-speed.
Read at The New Yorker
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