Brokeback Mountain in Manhattan

Shouts & Murmurs

- By Paul Rudnick

JACK: Why are you wearing a cowboy hat?

ENNIS: It’s from a theme party in the Pines. Why are you wearing cowboy boots?

JACK: Just for fun.

ENNIS: Have you ever been on a cattle drive?

JACK: Wait, they’re letting cows drive?

ENNIS: No, it’s when people get on horses and they bring the cattle up a mountain and then back down.

JACK: Why?

ENNIS: I’m not sure. Why do people go to Montauk?

JACK: Don’t get me started. Have you ever branded anything?

ENNIS: Footwear. Cologne. These T-shirts I silk-screen that say “OVER IT. OVER NIGHT. OVER YOU.”

JACK: I love that. Have you ever gone camping, like, in a tent?

ENNIS: Once. I was being a good sport. He was really hot, like Olympic-water-polo hot. I pretended I didn’t care about bugs.

JACK: No one’s that hot.