The full title of Acconci’s artist book translates to: Pulse (for my mother) (for his mother). In each spread of the book, Acconci addresses his dying mother in handwritten sentences: “I’ll force you to stay alive, I’ll keep heading toward you—I won’t let you die, I’ll keep talking to you—I can’t stay with you, sometimes I have to leave you alone.” Each entry is accompanied by a French counterpart of the text typed in the top right hand corner of the page. They are not direct translations, though, for they switch from Acconci’s first person narration to the third person voice of a translator addressing a French-speaking listener. For example, the French counterpart to “I can’t stay with you, sometimes I have to leave you alone” is “À présent il dit qu’il ne peut plus rester avec elle, que parfois il doit la laisser seule.” Back to English, this reads: “Now he says he can’t stay with her anymore, that sometimes he has to leave her alone.” There is a desperation in Acconci’s words as he struggles to communicate to a listener who may not be able to understand him.