This article makes an excellent point. It's really helpful, because the temptation in writing is to iron out character flaws rather than work with them. Thank you for writing about this.
Hospital
Fans whir,
IV bags drip,
alarms ring, unanswered;
bustle, chatter in the hallway
leaks in;
good cheer
mixed with medical urgency
observe vital signals;
and through it all,
she sleeps.
In the Night
Just dregs
remain in the
bottom of the bottle,
bitter maroon moments too hard
to drink;
we can't
filter them out or remove them
as time slowly decants
its wine in our
glasses.
At Daybreak
Hollow,
bereft within,
Geoff and Tony are making real plans; for a dinner, for a bed, and for a life built around each other, no matter what anyone else thinks. Including Geoff’s mother, or Tony’s sister, for that matter. Wonderfully and engagingly written.
Oh, tim, you just wrote a fantastic story. The contrasts between Nellie’s trust, and Dick’s insecurity was brilliantly done. Then came the thrill of Danny’s return, and the wonderful twist in the use of the mug. Love it.
I am abominably late to this, but... anyway, I see Carlos (who is last) already has Sam Wyer reading... do I choose Carlos also, or do I ask you to assign me randomly to someone else?
I skied beneath this moon before dawn, gliding over silver snow through shadows and broad gleaming meadows. I heard the owl calling on the hillside, but I wished I could heard your cry, too. But this poem puts me right back in the moonlight. Thank you.
This is a really helpful and informative post. You emphasize what works, what’s enjoyable, and the practical. Michael is extraordinarily fortunate in having you.
Perhaps we’d have a student population that saw more connections, and fewer divisions between the humanities and the sciences. Just wishful thinking, I suppose. Thank you very much for reading and responding.
The chasm between Andy and Eric is both amusing and tragic. The emptiness and loneliness of Eric’s existence is compounded by his age and limitations. Andy’s blindness to this hurts me, and I’m just a reader. But he was never going to be a magical panacea for Eric, was he?
We would not be at all without the cell,
without a thought nor even sense of smell;
and even more, I think it very true
my words would not exist, if not for you.
Thanks for reading these, and for your encouragement.