"She had a decorative bobby pin in her straight hair. I had been looking at it without understanding what it was.
'Is that . . . ?' I pointed to the pin. 'Does that have a rhinestone on it?' It was not at all her style—the way it was placed looked accidental, like a piece of twig.
'What’s the big deal?'

'Nothing. I just wasn’t sure if you knew it was there.'
'How would I not know? Obviously I put it there.'"

—The First Bad Man, page 99

Packaged with excerpt; authenticity verified with Miranda July’s signature.