Helen

She remains important: think of Leni
Riefenstahl; Helena, Montana; Mount
St. Helens, with all its residue. Think
of Ellen Glasgow; Eleni (marvelous non-
fiction by Nicholas Gage).  Think of all
those Arthurian Elaines, easy to mix up.
What about Lainie Kazan—she’s a Helen too.
Was this the face that launched a thousand
ships? Yes, all of them bearing her name.

From Hear Trains by Caroline Knox. Copyright © 2019 by Caroline Knox. Used by permission of Wave Books.