Nick Drake: Pink Moon

mumble-mumble-worbrang, an awesome spanking, 8000 gnats in a traction beam, a citrus river, turquoise, a castinet sizzle, and snow flurries in June

There were probably ten of us, in college, split up between two cars. One fraternity. One sorority. We were on spring break, headed from the Upper West Side to Sarasota, Florida. Our battered station wagon had bags roped to the roof and six of us inside. This was long before seat belts so we just kind of crammed our way into the back.

The driver was very tense about the borrowed car and why our feet where on the ceiling of the backseat and about directions and how we’d stay in touch with the other vehicle, but the passengers were the exact opposite, having a great time, laughing, teasing her over and over until she laughed, calling her “mom” at every opportunity. We rode the edge of her sense of humor.

We were New Yorkers, students, and none of us spent much time outside the city, so driving was an adventure. The laughter started with somebody’s wrong directions around 116th street trying to head north on Broadway. The backseat jokers were in high gear by the time we crossed the Georg…