#FirstSentences No. 5

A dark-toned but richly-colored painting of market scene. A bearded man holding a knife stands behind several tables with fish in various states of being cut up. Around and behind him are many women waiting to be served. He appears to be waiting on one of them, while others look on impatiently, while still others appear distracted by scenes beyond the frame.
'"Checker on seven!" and back between the checkstands unloading the wire carts, apples three for eighty-nine, pineapple chunks on special, half gallon of two percent, seventy-five, four, and one is five, thank you, from ten to six six days a week; and he was good at it.'

First sentences of Ursula Le Guin, The Beginning Place.

Started September 9.

Image attribution: "Fish Market" by Joachim Beuckelaer, 1568. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Link

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This post was first created on Sep 9, 2025.

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