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1
1
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
Saxe,

I'm going to offer something I rarely give: a structured review. I hope it helps.

Setting: 4 stars
I can see the uncared-for bachelor-esque office. There's an empty sense to the office, although there's an unkempt feel to the desk. It smells of fresh citrus, old dust, and an undertone something dank and musty. Although not specified, for some reason, the office feels hot and stuffy to me; I think an environmental tactile sensation would help the reader. All this is to say that I can drop right into your story and accompany the character around—although I'm not really sure whether to sweat or shiver.

Overall Theme: 4 stars
It's only 4 stars because it's not done yet; that's a given. I can tell it's going to include a to of elements of Robert Parker's Spenser and the unexpectedly gifted cop in Dean Koontz's Hardshell. The incorporation of horror/paranormal into a detective story can be tricky, but it's a nice cross-pollination of concepts when executed well. Judgment is is suspended in this case. *Wink*

Characters: 4 stars
The characters are not yet defined enough for the reader to invest in them one way or the other.
         Protagonist: The pessimistic but doggedly determined detective-without-a-name in your story is a pleasure to read, reinforcing the audience's desire to be a tough guy that is willing to do unpleasant and unlikely jobs. So far, he suffers from a lack of dimension, however. This may be addressed in future chapters, but right now he's kind of a cutout.
         Antagonist: The menacing and supernatural enemy-without-a-face is not defined yet, either. That's because you're not done with the story yet; I get it.
         Catalyst: Charlie, the customer-who-isn't-there is also without dimension. We are left wondering if it is Charlie himself who is the bad guy. He drives the protagonist's action, leading to conflict with the antagonist, but there is too little of him yet for us to get a good grip on him, so to speak.

Character Interaction: 3 stars
         Detective: The detective is much too accepting of a ghost in his office. Unless he has dealt with the paranormal before, he probably would have soiled himself. Gamely going along with a disembodied voice's desires rings incomplete and too much for the audience to willingly suspend disbelief. Also, the detective is broke; he'd not only demand but also need the money up front to facilitate his investigation.
         Charlie: This former person doesn't even try to explain himself in any detail or put the live human at ease. He seems to expect the detective to simply accept a ghostly customer at face value.
         The Bad Dude: While the repetition of "punk" a few times lends a certain dry humor to the situation, the menacing non-entity seems to overuse it a bit, assigning a cowardly or underhanded attribute to the detective that has not yet even been intimated. Otherwise, since the story is just getting started, he (or she) is still too undefined to love or hate.

Action: 4.5 stars
The details of the peeling the oranges and struggling to cut the excessive crime scene tape give a unique feel to this. Just the office, a trip across town, and entering a door would have been far too little to be interesting. As another detail (this is editorial opinion only), perhaps the detective is so broke from his business drought that he has no car and has to take a taxi for transportation, setting up some obstacles for later in the story. Purely an unsolicited thought.

Writing Style: 3.5
         Your sentences, most of them anyway, are very short and choppy. I am thinking this might be to emulate the noir style. "The door was closed. It was hot. And the blond across from me only made the room hotter." That staccato rhythm fits noir well. Used so constantly, however, it gives the story a simple feel, rather hinting to the reader that it's going to be boring or tedious.
         Your paragraph breaks are very good, though, and the vocabulary you use fits the private detective style perfectly.
         The depth of each scene is lacking for me. It feels very high-level. It moves fast, has little detail, and offers almost no explanation about the paranormal aspects of it. I recognize that it is likely because the work is still under construction.

Presentation: 5 stars
Your font size and line-spacing made this very comfortable to read. That's very important to me, and has turned me off some works that have probably been very good otherwise. Excellent choices.

Overall Thoughts:
Would you believe, after all that, I quite like the story? I'm a casual fan of detective stories, enjoying many of the Spenser novels and his own ironic sense of humor. So I am interested to see where this goes and to stop in from time to time to see the progress. As the story develops and you make choices (or not) to edit or adjust, I will likely leave other reviews, which will erase this one and make it obsolete. This review is only evaluating the story as it stands right now!

I do hope this hasn't seemed disrespectful or malicious. I hope to offer help and encouragement. If I have upset you with this review, please inform a moderator, and...I guess send Charlie to my house to keep moving my glasses around until I go quite mad!

Keep up the story, my friend—write on!

--Jeffrey


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Review of corn  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (2.5)
This is so corny! Sorry, couldn't resist.

It's a short piece, no doubt, but there some things to comment on. First, this is an acrostic poem (duh!) which is not always an easy thing to accomplish. I'd like to challenge you to rework this slightly—without losing what it essentially says— as a statement. For instance, right now, each line is a complete thought, one sentence per line. I challenge you to make this all one or two sentences. Tell me what the corn is and how it acts and how it feels and how you feel. You've already sown the seeds with simple sentences. Now grow it.

While this is an example of
How a person can
Eat up some space with
An idiotic acrostic, it shows how
To make it all one coherent thought.

One thing to watch out for is repetition in such a compact piece. You use "juice" and "juiciness" twice in four lines. It's kind of like saying: "I love the redness of red!" Try to shake it up a little; I'm sure something will pop into your mind.

If you rework this, I'd love to see it; in any case, if there's anything else in your portfolio...I'm all ears!

Write on, Corn-dawg!

--Jeffrey


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3
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
Enthusiasm,

Here's another of your gauzy paintings. A mixture of the physical, psychological, and mystical. It's exhilarating!

Plainly about loss, this is woven through with screaming red strands of self-blame and regret.

The desert as a representation of a mind irrevocably blasted by these emotions is a well-played gambit. Real memories crumble as the feelings of blame imbrue them with awful illustrations that can neither be explained away nor fully understood.

The titles of the library's books are wonderful—bare-bones definitions of the emotions Levi carries every day. And in every line, blame, blame, blame.

One thing that intrigued me, because—in the words of Frank Herbert— you "feint within a feint withing a feint," and hide "wheels within wheels," is the use of Levi as the character's name ironic? The Levites being the Judeo-Christian God's chosen tribe as priests and ministers of truth and the word of god, this Levi seems to only carry the words of dust, and none of deliverance or holiness. Very interesting.

My overall impression of this one hits very differently. I very much want this to be a poem. There is so much more meaning than the physical reference, and it is much shorter than some of your other work. It seems that it wants to condense down into a poem, shed its extra articles, kick the sand from its sneakers, and scream with the brevity of freeform verse. Mind you, that's just my opinion, as always.

I would not hesitate to purchase an anthology of your stories, period. They are such wonderful reminders that not everything is rainbows and puppies and Sunday church suppers. They are reminders that we are only a few heartbreaks away from becoming monsters ourselves.

Excellent work, sir.

--Jeffrey


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Review of The Noctuary  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
Enthusiasm,

The Noctuary departs a bit from your usual method of packing psychology tightly within metaphor and imagery. While there are still psychological aspects here, the overall feel leans much more to the horror aspect, relying on definable physicalities to define the scene. However, there's a lot left undefined that would help the reader more fully absorb this.

Here's what I get, in a nutshell. Elara and Lila were both botanists studying and developing orchids. Lila succeeded where Elara did not. Elara stole Lila's research and left a window open to allow the cold frost to kill Lila's plant. Not sure on this one, but it could be interpreted that Elara's is the one who disappeared Lila! (Although that seems at odds with the Lila-hedge asking why Elara didn't stay…)

Your thematic arc is nicely rounded--Elara is looking for a manifestation guilt she feels she deserves. Well--if she snatched her sister's work, destroyed her accomplishments and possibly had something to do with her demise, she certainly does deserve it! She finds the guilt, rejects its absolution, and accepts instead a life of emotional hiding.

At the start, Elara goes "inside the tunnel," which I think I recognize as the umbilicus into her conscience. It is full of malformed manifestations of her passion—

"Orchids hung from rusted chains, their blooms withering as Elara approached..." where "Vines pulsed with a light that mirrored her pulse."

These cahins and vines—images of bondage—point to Elara's feelings that her efforts to cultivate beauty have been trapped away from glory into a tainted inner reality of shadows and lies. The voice of her conscience, the Keeper, seems to be something unrecognized and unrecognizable, as the voice of our morals often is. (No "still, small voice" this time. No voice at all.) And the heart of her guilt, when she finally faces it, is the rare orchid of the night.

The crux of the story is sad. It wants to be heartbreaking, but it's hard to feel sorry for this character. In this case, Elara defies her own guilt, destroys the salvation the flower seems to offer. Here, it is not just denial of salvation, but destruction of it. And in turn, she destroys her own exploration for the absolution from guilt, ejected from her inner self, her umbilicus to her conscience severed. Instead, she thrives now on a life of penance and lies by omission, not all that different from Blind Willie in King's Hearts in Atlantis.

One of the interesting differences in this writing, compared to your other stories, is the concrete nature of it. Many of your other stories are as immaterial as thought, objects mixing with emotions mixing with memories and lies. This story is a much more a physical allegory into the exploration of sin, guilt, and penance. In many ways, I think this might even make it more accessible to the casual reader.

I have a lot of questions remaining about this one, and I'm not sure I'm being blind, the open ends were intended, or if they missed your edits. Here's a couple of the big ones.

~ What did Lila mean when she asked Elara why she didn't stay? Stay where? And why is she smiling when her bushy avatar asks?

~ What does the mercury represent? Mercury is sometimes used to indicate capriciousness, like the ancient god, or quickness. But I don't catch either of those allusions here. Is it maybe an exotic type of poison that reflects herself back to her while killing her, metaphorically?

~ Why is the Keeper genderless? This might be a totally personal thing, but the use of the third-person indistinct pronoun They/Them/Their threw me. I thought "It" fit better. I wonder at the reason you went this direction.

As always, there were lines of brilliance that caught my eye:

~ "OPEN BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND NEVER" When do we face our fears and guilt and insecurities most but in the middle of the night? And far away is forgiveness when you've wronged family? Never, one supposes.

~ "The air tasted of jasmine and wet ink." Excellent foreshadowing, as we find out later that she stole the written work of her sisters floral research. No wonder those smells haunt her!

~ "Elara waters the weed daily. It thrives on silence." Oh how a lie does thrive on silence! And only if we water it with justification and denial will it continue to exist and protect us…even while it simultaneously damns us.

There are recurring items or themes in your work. Ronnie James Dio had eyes, rainbows, children, mountains. Loreena McKennit has Celtic mists and faerie folk. I wrote this in the margin of the recurring concepts woven throughout most of your stories, and I am intensely curious about what they mean to you personally: "phone, water, shadows, family and familial conflict, missing/lost/abandoned, guilt, self-punishment, and penance--why are these his touchstones?" Like a landscape repeated through a cycle of stories, though, these concepts are nicely compelling.

This is a fragrant addition to your collection, my friend. Its difference from the others keeps the reader interested in seeing your future work to see how your concepts, perceptions, and presentations evolve.

Thank you for asking for my opinion on this.

--Jeffrey


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5
5
Review of "Wee the People"  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
Nick,

This has tastes of Gulliver's Travels and The Borrowers to it. That's not to take away from it, just an observation. If anything, it provides some familiar context to the reader so we're not as shocked by the pint-sized pickpockets as Ron was! It's a fun read, and one quite roots for the Wee Folk; their triumph in the end, although a bit brutal, was satisfying.

Your dialog was executed very well in this piece. Each character had his or her own "voice," and they were easily distinguishable through the story. It flowed well, too. It's easy for dialog to become stilted and unnatural, and yours didn't. Nice job.

Ron's behavior is a little iffy. He's either really open-minded, or he's pretty used to hallucinating After his initial shock, he recovered quite well into a conversation with His Lordship, the Mayor. You do counteract this sudden acceptance of the unnatural by having Ron believe it's all a dream, however. His intolerance can be chalked up to shock and disbelief, I suppose, but his anger seemed a little much. I don't know the guy; maybe he's just naturally high-strung.

There are some thoughts I had about this for you to consider.

~ This is a little thing, but when "The full-grown man weakened his grasp on the mayor and did as he was bidden…" the word "bidden" is usually used as a command to be obligatorily obeyed. "Requested," maybe?

~ The Wee Mayor states that they can no long "live under your rule!" If Ron didn't know they were there, how could he be ruling them? What situiations and scenarios are they complaining about?

~ The Wee Ones killed Ruthless Ron and stripped of his clothes for their village, ostensibly. But…what did they do with the body? Did they just move out of Ron's house? Now they Ron the Rotting, and that can't be good, either.

I like the touch of the American flag at the end. It kind of harkens back Charleton Heston and friends as they the Statue of Liberty emerging from the sand in the original Planet of the Apes. Nice little twist.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the second story of the wee folk you've written? I might be mixed up with another story, but—pretending my memory is better than that of a goldfish—is this going to be something of an episodical or serial "franchise," if you will?

In any case, I enjoyed reading this, sir. Write On!

--Jeffrey


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6
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Review of Joanna  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
Rene,

This is an interesting set of bookends. The first two stanzas show a fear of time, a fear of growing up, moving on. The use of autumn as something impending is a great device, universally identifiable as a symbol of time's inevitability.

The third and fourth stanzas bring reassurance to the reader, in that, though time will pass, we can—and should—still enjoy and live in the present.

The anxiety of the passage of time is commonly written about in poetry, but this is the first time I've seen it addressed to children. Because they feel it, too: leaving mother's side and going to school; putting away baby toys; finding less interest in the simple TV shows. It's troubling to the children, but you offer them a reminder that their parents and elders have planned for it, and there is a plan and a safe space for them to just enjoy "now."

Very nice writing, and an enjoyable bedtime story for me. 🙂

--Jeffrey


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7
7
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (5.0)
Enthusiasm,

Alright, my friend, you're beginning to irk me. There is a finite amount of "holy-s***!" lines in this world, and you're writing all of them! *Wink*

This is another almost-abstract painting with words. Almost abstract. The words and phrases are contradictory or disparate, but they make sense. That's pretty difficult achieve, and you do it masterfully. The slinking, sneaking shadows remind me of cats. I like cats, for the most part, but they have a deviousness about them—they'll slice you up on a whim, then act like your best friend, sleeping at your feet. The ability for me to equate something physical to the abstraction of your shadows helped me accept the concept. (This is one of those instances where just the right song lyric would help, because "accept" is quite the word I'm looking for; yet I can't seem to find a better one. But that's kind of exciting, too, isn't it, the inability to put words to a thought?)

The theme in this piece is subtly different, again, from your other stories. In this, I feel Mira learning how to feel guilt, to wrap herself in it like a cold shadow, to cry into it, to surrender to it. That's disturbing, because we all know that that road leads nowhere good. Interestingly, we don't really root for Mira in this one, as we rooted for the women in other stories. Mira's kind of been a jerk throughout her life, we find. Maybe she deserves this guilt. Of course, I think all readers will find some amount of self-reflection in that last line, at which point we must ask ourselves: "Hom much more guilt do I deserve than I'm currently carrying?"

Some of these lines not only sound wonderful, but they are so essential to the message of the story:

~ Answers eat better in the dark. Absolutely chilling; absolutely true. When we lay our heads down at night and retreat into our own inner observatories, that's when we are honest with ourselves. That's when the answers about our fears and hatreds look at us sidelong and begin to eat the lies with which we've been protecting ourselves. Sweet dreams, indeed.

~ ...its floors littered with Polaroids of a childhood she’d burned in her mind. Coming back to the homeplace is nowhere near as comfortable as we think it should be. We're never really shut of the past, and each doorknob, each scratch in the wallpaper brings back memories we've defended ourselves against for years. This line is a very effective analogy for that, illustrating the concept painfully for the reader.

~ They mold themselves to what you bury. We never hurt for no reason, even if made ourselves forget the reason. It's still there, with the regret coiled around and around it.

~ “I kept Thistle in my locker,” whispered the shadow-girl, holding the rabbit. That hurt. That was a powerful line placed perfectly relative to the previous two—showing how innocence became so horribly tainted with life. It seems to insinuate that we can even make our past selves feel guilty. Wow.


The timeline was very tastefully presented, pruned just enough. There're just enough points to give us a framework in which to see Mira's character more fully, as well as the conflict between her and her father (and herself, and others perhaps). And speaking of time, reminding us that memories exist outside of it by mentioning "a mechanic who repaired clocks no one owned" was stunningly brilliant. That's a line I either wish I had written or am glad I never considered—it's so powerful, I'm not sure which.

This story doesn't have an arc, it has a plummet. That's not exactly common, so it's nice for a change. It also fits the analogy of the final collapse through a lifetime of defense mechanisms into self-destructive guilt very well.

There are some things I think you might want to take a look at, perhaps to keep in the back of your mind for future projects.

~ You have another trademark wrong word in here. (Remember, we're sitting at the table, and this is just my opinion. Please don't throw coffee on me.) "Pixelated." There is nothing in this story with corners. Everything pools, flows, curls, inks. Pixels feel like the wrong syntax here.

~ Title wave! It's an odd observation, perhaps, but your titles have a pattern to them: "The [noun] of [adjective] [noun]." There's nothing wrong with that at all. It might be a "thing" that's unique to you. When I was making music, each album contained 15 tracks, and the albums' titles all ended in "-tions" I noticed it, is all.

~ Similar to the title but not as innocuous, most of your stories start out the same: "In the town of Somedamnwhere..." I really hate to admit that it is starting to feel a little formulaic. *Frown*

~ I'm really not sure which word "hers" is supposed to be in this line: "Hers pressed a hand to the wall, and the shaft filled with voices:"

~ This final observation is 100% opinion from just one person reading your work. Everything is needed in this piece. Those last 5 lines suck the air out the space the story lives in so beautifully. BUT. My emotional investment felt completed at "You let them speak." That felt like the resolution, the best place to leave the matter alone. The rest felt important, but it still felt like nothing should have come after "You let them speak." I have absolutely no suggestions on how that could possibly be rearranged.

Your picture-prose make the reader reflect on their own lives and circumstances, looking for places they have caused similar situations as these, places they have fallen into similar ruts, opportunities they have missed to take responsibility or assign it. The writing is dark, but not oppressive—a very important difference. It is sad, but it is not maudlin. It is suggestive but not overbearing.

And it is beautiful. Well done once again, sir. An absolute pleasure to read!

--Jeffrey


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PS: The deleted voicemail made me so much want Mira to be Clara's ex-wife from The Anatomy of Letting Go! That would have been such a beautifully ugly link of dysfunctional relationships and worlds. I guess I'm just such a ray of sunshine...

8
8
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (5.0)
Enthusiasm,

Another very interesting piece. While this is another exploration of desperation and loss, this takes a much more concrete approach.

There is a tantalizing ambiguity in this. It seems intended to leave the reader trying to see through the fog, instead of the character in the story being fogged in...well, in addition to the character in the story, rather. The main theme is clear: even the wall (of therapy, in this case) needs support to keep from crumbling. The symbology is sometimes murky, the intentions of the characters only hinted at. Mental dysfunction is murky, though, isn't it?

Your usual metaphors are not as colorful, and that seems intentional as well. This makes what symbology there is stand out all the sharper for interpretation. Here are some of those allusions and symbols that stand out to me, though they are certainly not all of the symbols herein:

~ Dr. Clara Voss kept a jar of dried lavender on her desk...for the ritual of crumbling a bud between her fingers. Lavender is often the scent of salvation and divinity, particularly in Christianity, where the concept of Salvation is magnified. In this line, I see Clara destroying her own salvation. (Later in the story, toward the end, this is looped back to.)

~ The name "Clara" means "clarity," and this character exudes anything but clarity. Juxtaposing contradicting images or concepts is an excellent tool to communicate non-physical conflict to the reader. Very clever.

~ “I tried to make her heart,” he said. “But it looked like a wound.” Tina Turner expresses a similar thought: "Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken...?" Eli is one of those ambiguities in this piece, and I'll touch on him later. But the insinuation in this line points to the inability of Clara to heal. Clearly, she can't move on, but in her state of painful stasis, like Eddie Vedder, it seems her "empty hands cradle broken glass of what was everything."

~ No reply. (There never was.) Clara's unarticulated cries for help are not heard or are ignored. Couched in the context of a phone call to the past, this avoids being obvious, and that is important in this piece.

~ “You’re a lighthouse...but you’re drowning in your own basement.” You use water in many of your stories seems to represent implacable defeat. With the top of the lighthouse being mentioned as well, though, this is one of those interesting ambiguities for the reader. Does this symbolize "how the mighty have fallen?" Or is it a representation of the more common case of denial and cover: "I'm dying, but I'm wearing a smile that will never let you know that."

~ “Take this. It’s empty, but… sometimes holding nothing is the point.” Wow. This is powerful, especially if viewed through the same socioreligious lens as the lavender. "Take this, and eat of it. It is my body, and it is given up for you." That's from the Catholic mass. But Clara offers: "Take this. This is my salvation, which is denied to me, but might find new life with you." I want to say that's too close for coincidence, but it might be a combination of my own experience and general disillusionment with pretty much everything. Still, the story is interpreted by the reader, so... In any case, it's a bloody brilliant symbol of Clara completely discarding any hope for salvation or surcease from her inner torment, denying self-care while still extending care toward others.

~ Her phone buzzes...New patient compulsive guilt...she turns it off. Holy s***. Another powerful set of symbol. She realizes (phone buzzing) that she is desperately in need of help (new patient), that she is consumed with "compulsive guilt..." but chooses self-destructive behavior patterns in lieu of asking for the help she needs (she turns it off). Damn—that's a tight, efficient package of some serious issues!

~ Clara sits in her car outside her brother’s old apartment....The heater’s still broken...She crumbles a lavender bud that isn’t there. Another of your compound symbol-sets the reader is compelled to evaluate Clara in toto, while there is a pause in the mental action of the story. What has happened in her life? She has obviously lost her brother and her spouse, and she blames herself. "Physician, heal thyself." Indeed; although she is a grief counselor, she cannot handle her own grief. But this might not be exactly her fault. Her guilt is "compulsive;" her mind demands she accept the blame of the world. Is her brother dead, and does she demand absorbing the guilt for it? Is this what came between her and her wife? Whatever the case, these symbols tell us Clara has succumbed to her breakdown and walked herself toward the brink, wishing she could reach for that lavender salvation still but knowing it is gone.

~ Stay here. Stay here. Stay here. Clara will not move on. She will not allow herself. Even though everything in the world is trying to help her move on, she has thrown away that salvation, and we can interpret here that it is deliberate as she wills herself to stay here in this half-life of defeat, sadness, and desperation.

I like lists; I think you can tell. So here's another list—a list of instances of ambiguity that seem intentional to make the reader look deeper. But just in case they're not intentional, it might help for me to point them out.

~ Eli. Does he represent someone? Does her represent her brother's memory or ghost? Is the woman he tries to create actually Clara, broken beyond resurrection? Heck, is he Jesus, trying to resurrect her but finding her unwilling to accept His salvation? Or is he just a literary tool to indicate that others are beginning to see cracks in her?

~ The wool coat. Ostensibly an effort to be someone else, does this also represent an attempt to smother the self? (It sucks trying to breathe through wool. Trust me. *Frown*) Because it is too big, can we interpret this as an attempt to replicate her brother's arms (relying on the common observation men are often larger than women)?

~ The heater. Not as ambiguous as the others, but the reader has to try to decide: is she longing for the warmth of other human beings, or is this an illustration that her heart of broken glass shards is no longer able to warm her blood into the action of moving on?

This is another complex story in a very compact package. Not nearly as illustrative and image-driven as some of your other work, it gives the reader a different flavor of bitterness to chew on. That kind of variety is very important in your portfolio.

A story like this, so representational and driven by thought and feeling, is hard to critique for grammatical accuracy. There is a lot of poetic license taken, and that fits the piece well. Similarly, with it appearing deliberately ambiguous, no fault can be found with the somewhat flexible arc of Clara (particularly her pre- and post-story status). I did not trip over any out-of-context words, either. I applaud that, because sometimes the right words are nearly impossible to find. (Just ask Clara.) All of which means I'm really no help at all except for reflecting back how very good this writing is.

I feel privileged to read you work, and I appreciate the generosity of your asking for my opinions. Write on, brother. Write on!

--Jeffrey


NOTE: I am not a spiritual man, but I recognize others often are. I try to be open-minded, and that is why some of my interpretations are through the lens of religion or spirituality.



9
9
Review of Thoughts  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
This complete breakdown of the literary fourth wall as an entry is bloody brilliant. Entertaining in a realistic way, too.

I wonder why women were (and still are, in too many ways ☹️) looked down on for so long when they have always done so much of the real hard work. No wonder you're all tired all the time.

Damn—anybody seen my collection of used bandages...?
10
10
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Enthusiasm,

So first, some notes on my reviews. I'm going to dig into this story a bit more then the previous one: ya pays the price (in GPs), ya rides the ride! Hopefully it doesn't spoil any of your wonderful emotional magic tricks. My reviews are generally not the same twice. Why? Because I get bored if I work from a template. I try to maintain some logical order, but I might jump around a little. So here's how I do it: image you and I are sitting at the kitchen table with some coffee or tea. Notebooks and pencils and laptops are kind of all over the place. You paw through a notebook and hand me this story, saying, "Here, whaddya think of this?"

Hmm... Well, lemme grab another cuppa coffee see what we got here...

This is another story that gave me chills—so wonderful! The cinema of which you wrote was so much sadness, so much sadness. This scene at the seashore is much stronger, a veritable emotional beating! Your writing is just as effective in an even shorter space; but there is a change of tone, and I think that's good, toherwise it's just the same story with different names, right? Yes, there is a slight change—there is anger in this piece. That anger drives more action this time around. And it was that undertone of anger that left me with a distinct feeling of vindication at the end, along with a deep sadness. This scene is a contest, a zero-sum battle with the past. But no one ever wins a battle. Everybody loses. And apologies go unsung.

You've chosen exquisite images again. The way you contrast objects via a verb is divine, like this: "The townsfolk collected these compositions in jars, hung them from porch rafters, and pretended not to hear the words hidden in the harmonies." Changing the music into some physical was another of your signature perspectives. They are absolutely incredible.

~ "...her mother’s cigarette smoke curling into eighth rests..."
~ "Its waves hummed lullabies in minor keys, and its tides left sheet music etched in seaweed..."
~ "...a single line of sheet music, its notes shaped like apologies."

Compared to the cinema in Lichthaven, the strand here in Selithyre is more transparent, psychologically. That's not a bad thing, don't get me wrong. The cinema was densely packed with layer after layer of regret, sadness, pain, and helplessness. This is less dense, though by no means less emotional. The familial relationships in your stories are heartbreaking. Nessa can do no right, and her mother can show no love. I mean, indifference would be kinder than telling your child "You’ll never be more than a missed note." Jesus, that's brutal!

Now, in this story, we have hope of salvation. Father gives her the key to set herself free: become your own woman, not the woman you could never make her want you to be. But—and this is brilliant to me, because I'm about as cheerful as a dying calf in a hailstorm—forgiveness was not the key! Oh, how powerfully, horribly true! Said salvation is communicated with good differentiation, too. Nessa's defiance against her mother "shrieks" and "warps," and her mother's sneers echo back through time mockingly. But father's voice is small and composed, symphonic. (One wonders if there is any reference at all here to that "still, small voice" written of in the Bible.)

But salvation is refused, another clear psychological lensing into the culture of abuse, repression, defiance, self-harm. Yeah, it's all those things, but it's something else, too—it's real, painfully real.

                   Hang on, my coffee's getting cold... ... ...Okay, that's better.

I did notice a couple of things in the tide that bear mentioning.

~ There was one glaring thing that snapped me out of this for a minute—the word "tactile." The vocbulary and phrasing you use is enchantingly diaphanous, like the wind, free of shape and full of intent. "Tactile" was like have a stick blown in my eye; it's so deliberate, so rigid. Is there a better word to use in this context? "Palpable," maybe? I'm not sure, but for me, "tactile" was exactly the wrong word.

~ Similarly, but far less starkly, "barnacled" just felt wrong. Because of the consonants, maybe? Maybe...

~ I mentioned the mood before. The mood in this story was heavy, heavier than Lichthaven. Be careful not to brutalize your reader. If Mother had sniped at Nessa one or two more times, I might have finished reading the story only as a courtesy to you, not as a devotee to the wonderful prosetryishness of it.

~ The last thing should have been the first thing, probably. "Our Throats" seemed extraneous in the title. Maybe it has a particular meaning... Does it imply that we don't speak when we should, don't defend ourselves? That the weight of those unspoken words chokes us and kills us inside, perhaps? I think those two words feel like an afterthought because we're so used to the old phrase "the ties that bind," which you also play on. Adding to such a common phrase feels awkward. That's all just an observation, mind you, not something that is "incorrect."

Again, there's lines in here I just keep going back to to reread and re-experience. I could probably cut and paste the whole story into this section, but these are some good examples:

~ “You’re breaking the wrong things,” she said. We do this so often, and so badly. We will wreck ourselves just to try to impact someone else.

~ "...oysters spilling from her palms." All those uncollected pearls of wisdom. Superb, superb metaphor, so beautifully nuanced that it could easily go unnoticed by the careless reader.

~ "...the violin case beside her filled with saltwater and starfish." This is a perfect snap back to reality for the reader. Well...something very close to reality anyway.

Which makes me wonder—in a deliciously thoughtful way—why these women in Lichthaven and Selithyre experience the world in such fantastical visions. Are they crazy? Are these hallucinations? Are they temporarily crazy, working through extreme trauma (in or out of hospital)? Is this just the way they have to think of these devastating pasts to keep from going crazy? Well, I'll never know, but each read will make me ask them again and look for answers...and come up with new answers every time!

You knocked my socks off again with this piece. I wonder if this one will follow me, too? Because last night, I fell asleep thinking about and feeling the cinema of tears—quite literally. When your stories impact us that hard...my word, you must, must Write On!

--Jeffrey


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(Disclaimer: This is all meant to be constructive and respectful. If you have felt offended in any way...you can come to my house and beat me over the head with a wet violin!)


11
11
Review of Chats  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
"There's no such thing as a stupid question!"

My boss wasn't sure whether to fire me or give me a raise when I replied: "I take it that means you've never raised children!" *Wink*

Jacky, this was a quite natural-sounding conversation depicted here. Well done. It kind of points out something interesting: that some of the most simple answers that we can think of to questions such as "what is a test?" are not always easy to explain in simple language. Some of what we consider to be our most "basic" concepts are actually quite complex, and we discover that when we try to explain them to a kindergartner.

I think these types of conversations remind us that sometimes we need to step back, slow down, and simplify the things that we think we need to think.

The world just might be a little bit better if we have the patience to understand it through the questions of a kindergartener.

--Jeffrey

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12
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Enthusiasm,

You can't know how long it has been since a story gave me goosebumps of wonder and how unexpectedly exquisite that feeling is.

The absolute originality of this piece stuns me. The incredibly beautiful prose...! There's just enough to keep it from being prose-poetry, but that is very much a good thing here; it wants to be a little more than poetry, revels in being poetry's seductive first-cousin. Each metaphor and image was so exactly right—and the best part is that I can't articulate why they are so perfectly chosen!

Usually, when I review, I dig down and examine what's behind the scenes in the writing. In this case, I don't even want to do that. I know there's a lot of psychological trauma, avoidance, and sublimation going on here. But I don't want to examine it any more closely. This is like some impossible magic trick, and I don't want to know how it's done; I don't want it to lose one wit of its magic. I don't need to in order to get it, anyway. That is so rare for me, and so wonderful.

Even if I didn't "get" the story (which I very much do, absolutely achingly do), the writing just blows me away. Pacing, image/ action/ dialog proportion, sentence breathing (personal term there—the overall pattern of increasing and decreasing sentence length and structure)—all exquisite and customer honed for this piece. And the vocabulary! Here are some of the lines and phrases that hit me the hardest:

~ "The town of Lichthaven existed in the parentheses between midnight and dawn..." Where you came up with that, I have no idea. But I hope that muse visits me one day.

~ "Eleanor wore her mother’s moth-eaten cardigan and ate lukewarm tangerines in the booth..." This is a brilliant statement of the decay and disappointment. "Lukewarm" was the word that made this phrase golden for me.

~ “The films aren’t memories...They’re what’s left when memories rot.” *Shock*

~ "...her mother sobbing in the projection room, splicing the storm into a canister..."

This month, I have reviewed some stunning writing, more than I've been privileged to read in such a short period for a long time now. This easily takes the cake—the best I've read in years, including the "pros."


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13
13
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Ah, GreenLion!

What a nice story— an important story—for the children. The illustrations will be truly memorable, all of those wonderful colorful flowers. Children's stories are challenging, walking that line between comforting and teaching. I think you've managed swimmingly!

(It's bittersweet for me, though. It's...well, suffice it to say I've learned otherwise.)

I wonder if the name of the flower should be the Allegory Rose. Should it be something children can better understand? Or is it a two-fold lesson, teaching children to keep their hearts open and how to think in comparisons and payables— in allegory?

Bottom line, this is delivered very, very well, my friend.

--Jeffrey

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14
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Prier,

This was a wonderful look at a beautiful object of memory.

There's a bit of self-analogy in this reflection. The self stays the same until one day... it's different. The self grows in a blind spot, so to speak. We don't realize how much we've grown until we see some sign of it—a reflection in a window, a shirt that doesn't fit, a game that that's no longer fun. A container of hope that is now just an old bucket that holds bolts instead of hope.

And we can never see ourselves the same, fit the old shirt, enjoy the old games. But we can look in the closet at the clothes and games and relish the memories, memories which are as real as the things were that are remembered. As real as the awe of a son for his father, trapped beneath the lid of an old bucket.


My opinion: yes, this splendid story is ready to publish.

--Jeffrey
15
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Review of The Last Argument  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Ronin,

This an excellent exploration into man's ignorance cum arrogance. Like Mickey in Fantasia, we've started up the broomsticks of AI. Now that they have have taken a life of their own, we're afraid... but also like Mickey, we have no idea how to put this broom back in the closet.

And perhaps we shouldn't, maybe Solace is right. Haven't we addressed this dilemma several times in past in the popular context? Short Circuit, Bicentennial Man, Frankenstein... And what do we keep telling ourselves? "It thinks, therefore it lives; it lives, therefore it should be free." I wonder why we can't accept the answer we keep coming up with?

I thought naming the robot "Solace" was a nice ironic touch. Giving it no face was also a nice departure from the norm. For some reason that kind of creeped me out a little — one more instance of juxtaposing the fear of AI with the need of that which is actually alive. And the best part, I think, is that there was no physical showdown, no display of strength or domination. It kept the story philosophical and thoughtful, and that was much of its strength.

I thought your punctuation, grammar, and structure were all spot-no. I really don't have anything constructive to offer other than applause and encouragement. Great story, my friend!

--Jeffrey



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16
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Review of Blackstone Cove  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
JM,

I like this quite a bit. I'd definitely read on, The definition of your main character through means other than exposition is well done. He's fast, knows the risks, dedicated to his "craft," humane. I'm sure the rest of the story defines him even more, but he's already a compelling character. The mysterious nature of his antagonist is also attractive to the reader. Is he security? Why? Is he actually the rich guy? Why is he so fit? The story begs the reader to turn the page and learn more.

Good placement of line breaks. I personally appreciate the larger font and larger line spacing. (looks like 3.5 on the font size and 1.4 on the line spacing?) I would have been a lot less likely to read it if it was all crammed together in small type.

You handled dialect well, too. This could have been anywhere until the accents came in; then it was placed squarely in northern Europe. Dialog was sparse, but it didn't need to be any longer. Kinda hard to talk when you're sprinting full out to jump out a window, I reckon.

This is really a good start; I'm interested in reading the next chapter, if you choose to post it.

--Jeffrey


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17
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (3.0)
Chelle,

I turned your question over in my mind a bit before commenting, and I came to the conclusion that yes, you should continue. Bear in mind you're not breaking new ground; this storyline has been explored for decades. So why continue? For the practice. Writing is an art, but also a craft, and one must practice!

I suggest finishing this as a short story. Set yourself a word-limit, and make sure you can tell the story within that constraint, for example. Write the story, and then review not just the writing, but how the exercise felt. What could you do better next time? What did you do this time that was just too much; what did you accidentally leave out?

There's a lot you can learn from yourself, you know. Yes, this scenario has been written and rewritten... but not by you! So I say: hell yes, finish it, Chelle! Write on!

--Jeffrey


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18
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (3.5)
Vesper,

Hey! WDC is about all writing, not just stories *Smile* . It's about ideas, craft, community, resources. Share your ideas! There's a genre you can choose actually called Writing! As far as I've seen, this is a safe place, too—no one's going to pirate your ideas.

Now let's talk about Kiyan while he's out of the room. While not cliche, this perspective of the Angel of Death has been explored before. No harm exploring it again! But I suggest you watch Meet Joe Black, starting Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins; you might find some things you don't want to do. (That sounds kind of discouraging, but I don't mean it that way. *Frown*)

Couple of questions/ challenges to your sketch:

~ What if the person who is dying is not going to heaven? Or is passing by violent means? How can he help them be at peace?

~ Is he the grim reaper, or one of many? If there are others, are they all the same? (Try the book Insomnia, by Stephen King, which deals with this.)

~ Where does he come from? Does it matter? Does it matter for you, perhaps, but not the reader— so you understand the motivations for the character's choices and behaviors?

~ Can he be destroyed?*Ninja*

I write mostly stream- of- consciousness. My characters spawn as I put pen to paper, and they inform me where they're going. That has lead to so many story dead-ends that it hurts. That's why I'm offering these challenges, so that you own the character before he turns the tables mid-chapter and owns you!

I hope you share more of your ideas on WDC. There's a lot of really good writers around here, and everyone benefits from everyone else's input. So...Write On!

--Jeffrey


19
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
Vesper,

For a first attempt, this is quite an accomplishment! The poem is cohesive, articulate, artfully rendered. I hope you do more!

Living in the present is such an important message to communicate. "Where am I going to get the money for bills? Why did I say that to Lisa yesterday? I really wish I hadn't broken that window back in 1996." These are questions that haunt and harry us, but they also occlude our vision of what is now, as you state. Where we are now is defined by our decisions of the past--decisions made in that "now." And so the decisions we make in this "now" will build our future. In order to make those decisions the best we can, to address regrets and repeat successes of the past and to answer questions of the future, we must observe what is in the present as parameters for our actions.

"So live in the present because it's the gift of God." I am reminded of a verse a friend of mine has tattooed on his arm:

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? (Luke 12:25-31)

Rely on God to calm your anxieties; rely on friends to help share the load of your concern. Have confidence and positivity in what you do today so that you can also support your friends tomorrow.

You remind us, in the final stanza, to use what we've learned from the past, plan for the future, and understand about the present to define the space where we are--and to become comfortable and confident to belong there.

Quite a strong and positive message!

Now, I'd like to be so bold as to respectfully offer a few observations and suggestions by way of helping you hone your poetic craft.

~ Keep a strong eye on your punctuation. Punctuation is often neglected or even omitted in poetry and chalked up to "poetic license." However, it can be just as important in verse as in prose. For instance, the last two lines in your first stanza pose a question, but you have ended the fourth line with a period instead of a question mark. That one's more of a grammar thing, but more importantly, punctuation in the second stanza, depending how it is applied, can subtly change nuances of the verse, if not the overall concept. There is no hard-and-fast rule to the punctuation in a poem, but I encourage you to look at it closely, and make it reads exactly how you intended.

~ Consider the vocabulary you use in poems. Some phrases are trite or cliche—you don't have any of these, particularly, but it's something to avoid. Be sparse with articles—the, and, a. You have a tight window to convey your point; don't clutter it with unnecessary words or syllables. Maintain a consistent tone. For instance, beginning the first line of the third stanza with "Sure..." doesn't quite feel like the same confident tone of guidance as the rest of the poem.

~ Don't wander from your point! This is the trap I fall into with stories and poetry, very frequently *Frown*. Stay on topic. I mention this because the third stanza in your poem points more toward the future than living in the present. It subtly intimates that the reader can or should shift their focus away from the present, which is counter the overall theme of your poem.

You present a thoughtful and wise admonition to us as the readers, giving us a reminder that we need pause, observe, and think. To me, causing someone to think is the ultimate achievement of writing. Very good, my friend.

--Jeffrey


Please remember, Vesper, that these are the observations and opinions of just one reader. I hope they are encouraging, and I offer them with respect.


20
20
Review of My story  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (3.0)
Gracie,

Whew! I'm breathless after that!

I got this much: you've had one hell of a life so far— although more recently, it seems to be heavenly. First I want to point out what you did right here, then I'll talk about a couple ways you might be able to improve your writing style.

Your biographical piece here has the right elements of a story or essay: intro, conflict, resolution. You were born with several siblings; you and your siblings were separated under confusing circumstances; and you found God, which has brought you peace. You have put the pieces in the right order, as well, so you're almost there. "What do you mean, 'almost,' Mister?!"

Well, you have the theme and sequencing, but the organization and pacing need some work.

~ Periods/Full Stops. Take a breath. Think your thought--just one. If you were saying it to someone, when would you stop for about two to three seconds to take a breath and start s new thought? That's where a period goes. They enable the reader to parse your ideas and statements as he it she reads, and they are indispensable. Without them, the reader feels winded and fatigued. Here's an example:

I am the third 4th oldest of 4 brothers, 2 half and 2 biological-- well one being my twin. When I was born, me and my twin brother got separated, because my mom's best friend couldn't...

The period here ends the thought of your birth, and the thought of your separation behind in the next sentence.

~ Line Breaks/Paragraphs. Once you've converted a collection of similar thoughts, hit ENTER a couple times. It provides a visual line break that cuts me, the reader, that you're done with that part; I can take a second and interpret it before moving on to your next set of ideas. Like periods, paragraphs are absolutely necessary in writing.

~ Slow Down. Take a breath before you write a line, every time. Hold it a couple seconds, and let it out. Write your thought. Repeat the process. Why? I can tell that your thoughts were racing when you wrote this. Your sentences veritably sprint across the page. Take some breaths, take your time. Tell me clearly so you don't have to tell me again, and I don't misunderstand.

There's other stuff to work on, but that can come later. You have an important story to share here, Gracie. I encourage you to take another look at this and see what you can do to tighten it up.

--Jeffrey



21
21
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (3.0)
Gracie,

This is a nice collection of contradictions for one to ponder! An agnostic myself, I struggle with whether God is a guide, a policeman, or just a damn bully.

GUIDE: Romans 2:4—"Or do you...not knowing, that the goodness of God leads to repentance?" The people being spoken to are simply ignorant, and they need to be guided, taught.

BULLY: Isiah 48:9—Paraphrased, "if you don't kiss my ass, I'll kick yours!"

CONTRADICTION: John & Psalms—One is made perfect when the Lord loves them. One must seek forgiveness of the Lord (merely for existing, apparently, but that's a different discussion) to attain this love. Forgiveness is provided by the Lord so that fear of its withholding can be used as a lever against people. But "the one who fears is not made perfect in love." Again, this breaks down in my mind as: "Whether you fear me or not, whether I forgive you or not, you fools will never be worthy of me."

I would suggest revisiting this and adding at least a couple of sentences of context. Otherwise, it is a bit random. If one were to come to this as a chapter in a book, one would be puzzled indeed.

I am not sure if pointing out these conflicting theological points was the intent of your writing, but this piece made me think, and even if I didn't think along the lines intended, at least I got to thinking. And that's the best that writing can accomplish. At least, that's what I think.

--Jeffrey



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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Drater,

Ouch. This took a turn I didn't expect, a painful one. As I read along, I identified strongly with the lack of motivation and the feelings of being overwhelmed by the simplest of tasks. I struggle with clinical depression, and this is all very accurate and familiar. But that last stanza that explains the depression comes not from an organic source but from emotional neglect is painful. So painful.

You achieve the "hook" very well, though. This could easily have been ham-fisted or waterlogged, focusing more on blame ("you need to show you love me more") than on the effect ("I'm rotting without your demonstration of love"). The way you wrote this, the reader is spared the worst of the pain until the end. This makes it both clearer and more acute.

I'm a fan of your mechanics here. The choice to use punctuation really helped me parse the speaker's thoughts and feelings. It makes it feel more real, less "poetic." In this case, I think that's a strength, because this is a very real situation. Using the word "rotting" was another inspired choice. Without nourishment, things rot, and love is the emotional nourishment we need. Without it, we have no energy, no drive, and we just...rot away.

Very good poem. I hope to see more of your work soon. I'd like to read on, so make sure you Write On!

--Jeffrey





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23
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Nick,

This is a really good horror piece! I was not expecting the ending, and I like that. Horror stories can be very formulaic, so finding a way to expand or break that box was a smart step.

In It, Bill Denbrough asks a college literature discussion, frustrated with their unending interpretations of a vignette: "Can't it just be a story?!" Well, Bill--no, not really. Because every story we tell is a way to analyze and interpret what goes on around us and inside us. The primary real-life lesson I see here is the consequences of desensitization. Little Annie is so enthralled with horror, and so desensitized to it (the reader is left to extrapolate whether that is through media or oral histories such as that of the Dullahan itself), that she becomes careless of the cautions such stories and movies and legends offer.

In the end, as Annie exits stage—well, into the orchestra pit, basically—we wonder if her carelessness calls the Dullahan, or if his moldy-cheese head had already set his sights on her before this. Did grandpa sense the Dullahan's proximity when he froze? If so, is it because "our stock is full of leprechaun blood?" Or could grandpa and the family have a more intuitive connection with the supernatural because they keep alive the old oral traditions: "Legends are as real as their tellers." (That's an awesome line, by the way, an inspiring doorway to so many stories other readers can begin to imagine.)

We are left with a shocking scene: the death of a little girl by falling out of a window. We are left with a legend (whether we previously knew the actual legend or not). We are left a bit unsettled by the questions of predestination and free-will—in this case, do we beckon death by our own actions and decisions, or does death already have us slated on a schedule designed in the Beginning? Wonderful questions to ponder after a nice little horror story like this!

I do have a few thoughts and suggestions (as I always seem to, eh?) I'd like to share.

~ First, "Dullahan" is a proper noun. As such, each instance of the word should be capitalized.

~Second—the only other mechanical correction I see—you don't need the apostrophe in "relative's" in the third line.

~ "Forgettable chiding" seems to want a little more context. Is grandpa's correction such a common protective action that it has become routine and is now ignored (touching again on desensitization)? That seems to fit the rest of Annie's carelessness, but a clause or sentence of context would make this a little smoother.

~ Annie's ghoulishness is at first described as curiosity. Is there room, again, for some contextual expansion? Perhaps a sentence or two about her fascination with the morbid, or a reference to her penchant for horror video games (pure conjecture on my part, there)? You clearly show us she's a bit of a bloodthirsty little brat, but I'd personally like just a little bit more of a frame around her.

~ "Annie listened blankly" doesn't convey what you intended, I think. This seems to imply Annie herself lost understanding or focus. Was she, perhaps, listening "expectantly?"

~ Nice job slipping in the fact that the girl's mother is Protestant. Does it bear on the story? Probably not, but in one phrase, it deepens the grandfather's Irishness and thus his connection to the legend .

~ Again, the question of whether she saw the Dullahan because she put herself in peril of death, or she was in peril of death by agency of the Dullahan itself is wonderfully compelling, at least to me.

This a nice, tight little story, Nick, as is your trademark. It's compact, it's complete, and it's compelling. And it's got a nice, unexpected, fairly messed-up ending!

Good job again, Nick. Thanks for pointing this out for me to read.

--Jeffrey



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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
Genie Lamp for use as graphicNICKIPEDIA
 
 
 
 
O, Djinn of the Lamp
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Reveiw          Story  Open in new Window.
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"O, Djinn of the Lamp" is a short story/long-flash fiction by Nick Newcastle  Open in new Window., published on Writing.com in 2025.
 
 
 
Themes and Concepts
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"O, Djinn of the Lamp" is a modern version of the cautionary tale warning people to be careful and focused on their goals and aspirations, because unintended consequences can completely cancel out any good done by the attaining of such goals. The stories of djinn , genies, and faerie offer this lesson in the form of a parable wherein the protagonist (usually) is offered a certain number of wishes that are guaranteed to be granted.

This story offers an extension to one of the most famous tale of this trope: the lamp of Aladdin  Open in new Window., from 1001 Arabian Nights. In this iteration of the storyline, the link between repression and acceptance is explored as a link between magic and reality.

 
 
 
Setting and Accessibility
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All three acts of this story take place in a very limited area--one house. As short stories are intended to quickly execute a storyline, the limitation of the scope of this story is a wise choice. The main setting is a mysterious dusty attic, reminiscent of the mysterious Cave of Wonders featured in the original tale. Dusty attics and basements are common throughout the world, and they are a common source of fear and anxiety  Open in new Window.. Thus, the reader is able to easily put themselves into the character of the protagonist, giving the reading of the rest of the story an organic first-person feel.
 
 
 
Dramatic Device
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Reprising Aladdin's discovery, an unassuming antique lamp is found and rubbed. The same djinn who bartered with Aladdin is released. This story uses the magical nature of the djinn in a unique fashion, however: the real world and the world of magic are demonstrates to be intertwined. Interpretation of this theme can pose the unseen pressures and consequences of emotion can seem like magical forces. The djinn's frustration at being repressed has begun to impact the outside "real" world. Repressing emotion and desire can have dire side effects  Open in new Window. on an individual, and these emotional consequences are often directed outward toward others, creating a personal world of crumbling relationships and increasingly disappointing or destructive habits.

The djinn character of this story represents a majority of the world's population in general, which is exhausted and frustrated to the of destructive behavior. The being points to wars, violence, and even dramatic climate change as evidence of how his own discontent influences the world--more literally interpreted, how individuals' discontent leads the entire world to dangerous extremes.

 
 
 
Discovery and Climax
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The protagonist, Miriam, makes wishes based on fear. Again, the story points out humankind's tendency to be a fear-driven race, making decisions based not on evidence, but on fear of consequences or the influence of outside forces. Initially, Miriam is afraid to even consider making a choice at all, demostrating the fight/ flight/ freeze/ fawn reaction  Open in new Window. of people (in this case, "freeze"). As she masters her initial shock, she begins wishing for generic and immediate solutions to problems that are actually very complex, and there are unintended consequences:

+ Her wish for world peace does simply stop violence and negativity; it ends all disturbances against nature, as well, depicted by the cessation of the sounds of traffic and even of nature. This will surely have an impact on the rest of humantiy. The lesson from this wish is that people often have goals that are very short-sighted, and while they may benefit the individual in the short term, they have a high probablitilty of negatively impacting many other lives in the long term.

+ Miriam reveals her loneliness when she wishes for a friend. She is non-specific as to the nature of that friend, however, reminding the reader of how often we disregard the very valid safety concern of stranger danger  Open in new Window.. While the nature of her "friend" is revealed later in the story, Miriam has metaphorically entered a relationship with little or no risk-assessment, and has potentially opened herself to an unfulfilling or even abusive relationship.

+ Considering her ultimate fear of all things she does not know, and a possible true agoraphobic condition  Open in new Window., she wishes for all reasons compelling her to leave her house to be eliminated. This wish delves into a complex combination of cascading problem/solution scenarios. When individuals fear that which is around them, they may often seek the safety of drawing in and isolating themselves. This isolation can then lead to feelings of depression, prompting self-destructive behaviors such as addiction, among other things. Addiction leads to shame, shame leads to self-loathing, and so on until the ultimate consequence is quite often death. However, as demonstrated by Miriam's eager recourse to isolation, we rarely to see those negative unintended consequences, either.

 
 
Resolution and Denouement
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The end of the story sees Miriam greeting the friend for which she wished. In an unexpected twist, the reader finds that the djinn is the friend. When someone like Miriam helps another (the djinn) out of an environment of repression, abuse, or other psychological torment, the two parties often become unexpected friends. Miriam does not exactly recognize the djinn in this new environment, alluding to the fact that people grow rapidly when released from psychological constraint, and are often not recognized for the victim they previously portrayed.

As a final statement of conquering psychological issues by reaching out to others for help and offering help when possible. Miriam decides to leave the house after all, following her new acquaintance. This is very telling, and harkens back to the way her wish was originally worded: that she would never need to leave the house. When we build defenses against other people must always leave ourselves a way to move forward past our temporary coping mechanisms. Miriam experiences a positive unintended consequence by having wished herself out of her own self-imposed isolation.{/quote}

 
 
 
Overall Interpretation and Evaluation
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Mr. Newcastle uses comparitvely few words to investigate some common but complex individual and social issues, while entertaining the reader with a modern-day continuation of a classic tale. One hopes, to be certain, Mr. Newcastle decides to Write On!
 
 
 
See Also
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The Monkey's Paw  Open in new Window.
The Martian Chronicles: The Martian  Open in new Window.
The Wonderful Lamp  Open in new Window.

 
 
 

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*Strong**Floral1*"WdC SuperPower Reviewers GroupOpen in new Window.*Floral1**Explode*

25
25
Review of Sunflower  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Conrad,

This is beautiful. Absolutely stunning. Just the poetic contrast of calling the piece "Sunflower" when it is actually about the vase is brilliant. All of our observations say more about the observer than the observed.

"The cane of a broken man's fall" stands out as a line I wish I had come up with myself. The cane is not broken, causing the man to fall; the cane is intact--it is the man that is broken! Not injured or scarred or lamed, either, but broken! It's so perfectly metaphorical for many things, but it is applied to this context with sublime, gentle specificity.

Poems hit people in different ways. At first, I thought this felt like a parent's lament on children leaving actually being a reflection of the parent's observation of their own efforts raising the child. But I don't think that fits. Then I though: "A therapist. That's how I can best transfer this to the macro. Well...no..."

Hospice, though. Damn, that fits all too well. Life comes in, struggles, wanes, fails. And the nurses and staff, all vessels of deaths upon deaths, always wearing a welcoming face, like the beauty of a vase, but always with secretly broken hearts. That's the series of feelings and perceptions this poem encouraged me to explore.

Okay, time to get out of my feels. The structure of this is really interesting: ABB CDD EFF. Any reason behind that rhyme scheme? Or is it just the way the words told you they needed to fall? Also, I have one "crit," if you will. "Bulbous bush" didn't feel quite right--too literal perhaps, too concrete. That's just an opinion, of course, not a technical question of any kind.

Conrad, this is masterful, my favorite that I have read from you yet. It made me think--really think--about what it meant to me, how it applied to my own observations and experiences and life. It made me think.

Take a bow, my friend!

--Jeffrey



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