Well told. In the beginning, I was also trying to make sense of who Gert, and Lucas, and Pam were - what was their relationship to Willie? But I count this as a success on the author's part; making the reader having to come out of this (slight) confusion, just like Willie had to piece his mind together. Made me shed a few tears too.
thank you so much, Helena. I really appreciate your comments and observations. And it is interesting you noticed the lack of reference as to who they were. For the most part I did explain but as this was originally a spoken word story there was a) no way to delicately explain and b) it was a device to hold their attention. I have always believed that unanswered questions as the story unfolds holds the reader's attention, but you have to provide the answers at some point and I'm glad, in your case, I didn't wait too long.
I don't remember exactly at which Note or Comment we discussed cliffhangers and open loops (it was based on Willie's story; this I'm almost certain about). Anyway, I recently began reading The Threepenny Novel by Bertolt Brecht. I'm only 3-4 chapters into it, and I can tell you -- Just.Read.It. A superb example of the practice.
Btw, I didn't insert any link -- it's just the default of the platform, to turn phrases with periods into weblinks. (I'm new to Substack; I'm just learning how it works.)
Just a wonderful story. what it's like to lose a child, what it's like to retire and have no purpose, what it's like for isolation to set in. You nailed it.
the talk about having to sometimes eliminate your favorite “babies” from your book as you revise, and, unfortunately, Willie had to go. His branch of the novel was not connected enough to the rest.
But he remains one of my favorite characters and I plan to do something with him.
Thanks for reading all that you did and thanks for all your wonderful comments. And, when I get a chance, I’m going to check that last line on the typewriter story.
be well. (Am off to California for a short bit. Have been hoodwinked (happily) into filling in for the editor of a news organization out there, though I will be able to come back and do much of remotely.)
Thanks so much, Eleanor. It means a great deal to me that you both read it and reacted. It was a story that arose from the photograph and my brief conversation with the subject of the photo. I was taking photos at an agricultural fair in Vermont. I took photos of feed, of hands and then of faces. His was striking. He was standing by the cow barn. Many were coming up to him, shaking hands, clearly consoling him, clearly they had not seen him in a while. When there was a break in people approaching him, I went up and asked if he minded if I took some photographs. Fine, he said. While I was shooting, I asked him if he had any cows in the barn. He said no, that when his son passed in the summer he sold them all, sold everything. When I got home late that night, I sat down and laid out the story.
Oh and now I'm wondering, what was the continuation of the farmer at the fairs story.
My most often read author is Wendell Berry . Place and farms and families. Yes farms yes food small holdings that make sense for communities.
Thank you for sharing your stories ,definitely I will buy the book when it's out.
I signed up for a substack for poetry, and I'm glad that you are on here as a respite for all the political that seems to take up my mind stream lately.
Eleanor, thanks for reaching out again. There is irony in what I'm about to tell you. The Willie story became the third sketch that I wrote for Vermont Stage Company for their annual Winter Tales production. While the program is intended to be all cocoa and cinnamon cookies, the director really liked this story. I think it was my favorite of all that I wrote, even the one upcoming in December.
But that story ended up going in a much different direction than the book. I ended up cutting it mostly out -- 187 words of it exist as one of the micro stories that begin each chapter.
I intend to go back to this. I am presently thinking out the sequel to the book (I have cut out almost a book's worth!). The current book stretches from 1918 to 1974, and I am thinking about exploring more current themes of the loss of farms, the sprawl of development and the loss of the fabric of community.
Since I am so fond of Willie, I am plotting how he gets back into farming with the assistance of his daughter-in-law who can't stand NOT farming.
I am so glad you found my writing. I am not a poet but I do so love good poetry as well. And I, too, am so tired of the incivility in public and political life.
Be well.
By the way, do you write? Do you intend to share anything on this site? (He said, hoping.)
Well told. In the beginning, I was also trying to make sense of who Gert, and Lucas, and Pam were - what was their relationship to Willie? But I count this as a success on the author's part; making the reader having to come out of this (slight) confusion, just like Willie had to piece his mind together. Made me shed a few tears too.
thank you so much, Helena. I really appreciate your comments and observations. And it is interesting you noticed the lack of reference as to who they were. For the most part I did explain but as this was originally a spoken word story there was a) no way to delicately explain and b) it was a device to hold their attention. I have always believed that unanswered questions as the story unfolds holds the reader's attention, but you have to provide the answers at some point and I'm glad, in your case, I didn't wait too long.
Thanks again.
You've made my day.
geoff
Hi Geoffrey,
I don't remember exactly at which Note or Comment we discussed cliffhangers and open loops (it was based on Willie's story; this I'm almost certain about). Anyway, I recently began reading The Threepenny Novel by Bertolt Brecht. I'm only 3-4 chapters into it, and I can tell you -- Just.Read.It. A superb example of the practice.
Btw, I didn't insert any link -- it's just the default of the platform, to turn phrases with periods into weblinks. (I'm new to Substack; I'm just learning how it works.)
how odd! but I think the (dot)it is a legit url. I think if you put a space between the periods, it works.
And, link aside, I will indeed read The Threepenny Novel. Thanks for the recommendation.
Just a wonderful story. what it's like to lose a child, what it's like to retire and have no purpose, what it's like for isolation to set in. You nailed it.
thanks so much, Sidney.
the talk about having to sometimes eliminate your favorite “babies” from your book as you revise, and, unfortunately, Willie had to go. His branch of the novel was not connected enough to the rest.
But he remains one of my favorite characters and I plan to do something with him.
Thanks for reading all that you did and thanks for all your wonderful comments. And, when I get a chance, I’m going to check that last line on the typewriter story.
be well. (Am off to California for a short bit. Have been hoodwinked (happily) into filling in for the editor of a news organization out there, though I will be able to come back and do much of remotely.)
Ahhh. This was so complete, heartwarming and as filling as pie.
Thanks so much, Eleanor. It means a great deal to me that you both read it and reacted. It was a story that arose from the photograph and my brief conversation with the subject of the photo. I was taking photos at an agricultural fair in Vermont. I took photos of feed, of hands and then of faces. His was striking. He was standing by the cow barn. Many were coming up to him, shaking hands, clearly consoling him, clearly they had not seen him in a while. When there was a break in people approaching him, I went up and asked if he minded if I took some photographs. Fine, he said. While I was shooting, I asked him if he had any cows in the barn. He said no, that when his son passed in the summer he sold them all, sold everything. When I got home late that night, I sat down and laid out the story.
Thanks again for reading and commenting.
Oh and now I'm wondering, what was the continuation of the farmer at the fairs story.
My most often read author is Wendell Berry . Place and farms and families. Yes farms yes food small holdings that make sense for communities.
Thank you for sharing your stories ,definitely I will buy the book when it's out.
I signed up for a substack for poetry, and I'm glad that you are on here as a respite for all the political that seems to take up my mind stream lately.
Eleanor, thanks for reaching out again. There is irony in what I'm about to tell you. The Willie story became the third sketch that I wrote for Vermont Stage Company for their annual Winter Tales production. While the program is intended to be all cocoa and cinnamon cookies, the director really liked this story. I think it was my favorite of all that I wrote, even the one upcoming in December.
But that story ended up going in a much different direction than the book. I ended up cutting it mostly out -- 187 words of it exist as one of the micro stories that begin each chapter.
I intend to go back to this. I am presently thinking out the sequel to the book (I have cut out almost a book's worth!). The current book stretches from 1918 to 1974, and I am thinking about exploring more current themes of the loss of farms, the sprawl of development and the loss of the fabric of community.
Since I am so fond of Willie, I am plotting how he gets back into farming with the assistance of his daughter-in-law who can't stand NOT farming.
I am so glad you found my writing. I am not a poet but I do so love good poetry as well. And I, too, am so tired of the incivility in public and political life.
Be well.
By the way, do you write? Do you intend to share anything on this site? (He said, hoping.)