aLBERT sCRIM iS gOING mAD*

Albert Scrim is going mad, so mad that his hat no longer fits on the crown of his head. This encephalitic swelling, which is how the doctor refers to it, has become a growing concern for Albert Scrim, one to which he gives much thought, and in turn causes him no little consternation and worry. The strain on his hypothalamus is considerable, as is the pressure building up in the cerebral cortex, a place where Albert Scrim spends a great deal of time and no little effort of imagination. He has taken to wrapping his head in broadcloth and soiled linens, feeling that these two fabric poultices might help lessen the burden on his cortex, and even if they don’t, affect a rather spiffy appearance, something he has been all but lacking since childbirth and thereafter. His doctor has warned him against such measures, but Albert Scrim refuses to pay heed, as he sees no harm in a makeover that encourages happy thoughts and lessens the worry in his head. Albert Scrim is going mad, so mad that his thoughts no longer fit in his head, a head that once played host to no little effort of imagination and time.