Lucy and the bike girl

Abstract

On this Missouri Review podcast, we present "Lucy and the bike girl" by Hillary Frank, a finalist in our 2009 Audio Competition. Lucy, a 28-year-old with cystic fibrosis, meets the "Bike Girl," who has the same disease, in an internet chat room. They are both, against the advice of friends and doctors, trying to get pregnant. They quickly become friends but can never meet in person, because the Bike Girl carries a bacteria in her lungs that is toxic to anyone with cystic fibrosis. This piece is an experiment in combining fact and fiction. The interview tape is all from a real interview; the narration is semi-fictional.