The Texas Observer

IN ‘KEEPING HOUSE,’ THE UNSEEN IS AT THE FOREFRONT

Veronica Ceci held two jobs after earning her master’s degree in printmaking in 2014. The first was as a master printer at Austin’s Flatbed Press, a role that involves the skilled use of printing presses, tools, materials, and processes to help other artists realize their visions. It’s a high-status position in the art world. The second job, which Ceci took when she realized that printing wouldn’t be enough to pay the bills, was decidedly less exalted: housekeeper at a day spa, doing endless laundry and cleaning treatment rooms, bathrooms, and shared spaces after patrons enjoyed their pricey massages and facials.

Both jobs were physically demanding and required attention to detail, but one garnered dramatically more respect. “I was really struck by

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Texas Observer

The Texas Observer1 min read
Editor’s Note
Dear Observer Community, Short-term rentals—for which companies like Airbnb serve as brokers—are sucking up housing inventory across Texas, driving up prices for renters and home buyers alike. For longterm residents whose neighborhoods have been take
The Texas Observer5 min read
How Less-educated Whites Fell Behind And Blamed Race
The following is an excerpt from Forgotten Girls: A Memoir about Friendship and Lost Promise in America. The fortunes of rural towns like Clinton, Arkansas collapsed during my young adulthood, from 2000 to 2010. The period was marked by recessions—th
The Texas Observer1 min read
Support
Dear Texas Observer Community, I’m excited to share the news that, in October, the Observer will host our first in-person fundraising event of 2023, where Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed, author of On Juneteenth, will be in conversation with Kathleen McElroy

Related Books & Audiobooks