The Pugilist at Rest

A first-person narrative about a Vietnam War veteran who is preparing for brain surgery to treat his epilepsy, a condition that developed after a boxing match.

The story intertwines the narrator's experiences in the Vietnam War, his boxing career, and his reflections on violence and art, using the Roman statue "The Pugilist at Rest" as a metaphor.

The statue, which the narrator keeps a photograph of in his room, represents the intersection of violence and art, and the narrator's contemplation of his own life and choices.