I admire the diversity and specificity these lovely short pieces. My little online short story writing group works to member given prompts in a similar way. I had thought it might be constraining but the opposite has proved true.
Thank you so much Carolyn. It was interesting to bring these pieces together. I'd never read them 'as one' before and I have to say I quite enjoyed it!
As a fan of “collections”, I can see why that is. My favourite coffee pod mandala will always pale in comparison to the collection of them. Each piece of your writing stands out as unique and separate from the others while simultaneously belonging to each other through your voice.
I found very much to relate to in this. And even though they are separate pieces, there is some kind of common thread that holds them together. That comment thread is you, your childhood, your life choices, and who you have become.
I like the stuff about gardens gone wild, because I had done some similar things with my mother‘s property. And that was also a property where the day after she died and I knew the house that I had growing up in was now truly empty. And I had to clear that whole house main floor, which was large, basement, and attic, where the real discoveries were.
Very impressed by the hair thing. My late wife too, had planned to let her hair go gray naturally, although unfortunately, she didn’t live long enough to see it through. The only problem she really worried about, because it was a long and naturally curly was keeping its body, and dealing with split ends. Argan oil was a new thing at the time, and worked very well. as for me, when I was in my 20s in the 1980s, I bleached my hair and cut it short. Actually believe it, yellow, Billy Idol style. And then I went back to normal. Then when I began to lose it, I finally convinced my wife to let me shave my head, And because I was well built at the time, and I think I have the same nose, I got a lot of compliments (for some reason mainly from Black people) saying “man, you look like a Vin Diesel”. I did like that, although I guess I would’ve been a slightly smaller version. But then most recently, cause I no longer shave myself and just go to the hair place, always having a bit of beard and stubble, I had a guy say that I reminded him an actor, but it took him a second to think who and then he realized, Tom Hardy. I was happy with that. I had growing up from Dominic Torretta to Mad Max Rockatansky!
And the thing about owning a place. I remember once working in the garden at my mom‘s place while she was still alive and then you’re sitting down on the grass for a rest and thinking about this. And I am no left-wing socialist or anything like that. We owned that land..period. At least as related to other humans. But you’re right, there were insects and birds and other animals who had their own territories with respect to each other within our property. Empires within empires within empires.
And as to the EHB section, it makes me think of treaty days in Canada, with her about the original main treaties made with aboriginal peoples by the British crown. Each treaty Indian, and that is a status that has to be proven by lineage, is entitled to five dollars a year from the crown. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries that was worth something. It is still distributed today, because of the crowns promises are eternal. And aboriginal people’s make a special holiday of it having traditional dances, powwows, sweat lodges, and such. And this distribution will last, according to the wording of the treaties for as long as the grass grows, and the rivers flow.
Sorry for the weird grammar in places, that’s just from dictation, and somehow my phone does not always capture what I say correctly; I do have some kind of accent.
I admire the diversity and specificity these lovely short pieces. My little online short story writing group works to member given prompts in a similar way. I had thought it might be constraining but the opposite has proved true.
Yes, I agree, Valerie. It’s exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.
A truly beautiful read! ❤️
Thank you so much Carolyn. It was interesting to bring these pieces together. I'd never read them 'as one' before and I have to say I quite enjoyed it!
As a fan of “collections”, I can see why that is. My favourite coffee pod mandala will always pale in comparison to the collection of them. Each piece of your writing stands out as unique and separate from the others while simultaneously belonging to each other through your voice.
Thank you. I sought to produce something new with each of the prompts and used the collaborative project as an experimental writing space.
I found very much to relate to in this. And even though they are separate pieces, there is some kind of common thread that holds them together. That comment thread is you, your childhood, your life choices, and who you have become.
I like the stuff about gardens gone wild, because I had done some similar things with my mother‘s property. And that was also a property where the day after she died and I knew the house that I had growing up in was now truly empty. And I had to clear that whole house main floor, which was large, basement, and attic, where the real discoveries were.
Very impressed by the hair thing. My late wife too, had planned to let her hair go gray naturally, although unfortunately, she didn’t live long enough to see it through. The only problem she really worried about, because it was a long and naturally curly was keeping its body, and dealing with split ends. Argan oil was a new thing at the time, and worked very well. as for me, when I was in my 20s in the 1980s, I bleached my hair and cut it short. Actually believe it, yellow, Billy Idol style. And then I went back to normal. Then when I began to lose it, I finally convinced my wife to let me shave my head, And because I was well built at the time, and I think I have the same nose, I got a lot of compliments (for some reason mainly from Black people) saying “man, you look like a Vin Diesel”. I did like that, although I guess I would’ve been a slightly smaller version. But then most recently, cause I no longer shave myself and just go to the hair place, always having a bit of beard and stubble, I had a guy say that I reminded him an actor, but it took him a second to think who and then he realized, Tom Hardy. I was happy with that. I had growing up from Dominic Torretta to Mad Max Rockatansky!
And the thing about owning a place. I remember once working in the garden at my mom‘s place while she was still alive and then you’re sitting down on the grass for a rest and thinking about this. And I am no left-wing socialist or anything like that. We owned that land..period. At least as related to other humans. But you’re right, there were insects and birds and other animals who had their own territories with respect to each other within our property. Empires within empires within empires.
And as to the EHB section, it makes me think of treaty days in Canada, with her about the original main treaties made with aboriginal peoples by the British crown. Each treaty Indian, and that is a status that has to be proven by lineage, is entitled to five dollars a year from the crown. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries that was worth something. It is still distributed today, because of the crowns promises are eternal. And aboriginal people’s make a special holiday of it having traditional dances, powwows, sweat lodges, and such. And this distribution will last, according to the wording of the treaties for as long as the grass grows, and the rivers flow.
Sorry for the weird grammar in places, that’s just from dictation, and somehow my phone does not always capture what I say correctly; I do have some kind of accent.