Kissing By Anthony Farrington Summary

Anthony Farrington’s essay, “Kissing” effectively shows the author’s view on kissing through experience and advice from book references. Farrington does this by discussing his experience with kissing six women: Lulu, Deanne, Jenny, Robin, April, and Carolyn. Each person, he shares a kiss with he describes differently. Farrington uses side text boxes with information and advice about kissing from books, such as The Book of Kisses. He also sets up questions/answers about kissing and steps to kissing within these side text boxes. By using these techniques, Farrington creates a work of nonfiction that shows what kissing is and how to kiss from his own opinion and others opinions.
Farrington describes his experience with kissing six women and

lists them in chronologic order to show the reader how kissing can be different depending on who a person is kissing. He writes about how each person he kisses makes him feel after the kissing stage. By using the six women he has kiss, Farrington is able to tell readers kissing will always be a different experience with other women. Farrington says, “Jenny wanted to kiss me so bad, she had me backed up against a green refrigerator; her boyfriend was in the next room. I told her to never do that again, and she went home crying. Well, you can imagine, I married her. Jenny was the third girl I kissed” (180). Farrington first kiss with Jenny is not a good experience but later he describes how his kiss with another woman is the opposite. Later, Farrington says, “Robin was the forth, she always gave me a friendly peck. [. . .] Years later, we got drunk together[.] And I wanted to kiss her so badly. But I kept drinking instead and dreamed that many sad years later—maybe fifteen—she would tell me that she had wanted to kiss me too” (180).
Next, Farrington goes in depth about how each of these women (Lulu, Deanne, Jenny, Robin, April, and Carolyn) makes him feel when they kiss him. Farrington does this by describing his best kisses in life and worst kisses in life. Farrington says, “Other best kiss: My first real kiss was with Deanne. [. . .] I touched her face, her tears, and she began kissing me. Her arms went inside my jacket. She was crawling inside of me for warmth. She was shaking and kissing me. Her cheeks were cold, but her mouth was so warm and her face so wet” (182-183). After, Farrington describes one of his worst kisses in life. Farrington says, “Worst kiss: When Jenny left me for the last time—the real last time—we both knew it. After twelve years, this was it. Jenny left and stopped and left and stopped and came back again and again into the room. I knew what she wanted. But she had to ask for it. She asked if she could kiss me goodbye” (183).
Lastly, Farrington uses side text boxes to show readers what other people thoughts and advice about kissing in books and he also provides questions/answers about kissing and steps to kissing.

Farrington also writes his side text boxes in italics so readers can distinguish that it is a side box. In one side text box, Farrington refers to How to Make Love: The Secret of Wooing & Winning the One You Love by Hugh Morris, which says “Let your lips traverse this distance quickly and then dart into the nape of the neck and, with your lips pursed, nip the skin there, using the same gentleness as would a cat lifting her precious kittens” (178). Farrington refers to How to Make Love: The Secret of Wooing & Winning the One You Love to show readers how others think on how kisses should be given. In other side text boxes, Farrington uses questions/answers about kissing to show the reader what they shouldn’t do when it comes to kissing. Farrington says, “Regarding Social Graces: Q: What’s are the rules about public displays of affection? A: Don’t” (188). Lastly, Farrington places steps about kissing within the side text boxes. Farrington says, “Step one: Touch her face. Step two: Part your lips. Step three: Kiss her. Step four: Let go”

(189).
By the end of Farrington’s personal essay, “Kissing” the readers can get a sense of what kissing means to the author and how he feels kissing affects a relationship. Readers probably can imply that Farrington feels that kissing is a major part in a relationship and feels that it should be done right. By using the techniques above, Farrington is able to display how kissing affects him throughout his life. Anthony Farrington’s essay, “Kissing makes readers analyze the way they kiss others even their own children and shows how a kiss can affect relationships” At the very end of the essay, Farrington says, “My son was awake and pretending to be asleep. Before I shut his door—he yelled into the darkness, completely terrified. ‘Wait Daddy wait!’ he said. [. . .] ‘Kiss me,’ he said. ‘You forgot to kiss me’” (189).