Saturday, July 5, 2008

i thought i saw your face today.

i said i would tell you more about Your Secrets Sleep With Me, and boy, will i tell you.

After updating last night, I googled Darren O'Donnell to find out more about his work. But instead I found his old blog that had his email address on it. I decided to email him to a) tell him that his book was really great and b) that it reminded me of a short story i wrote in 2005. I then attached the story for him.

He wrote back just two hours later.

"That's so nice to hear that. I'm really happy that you enjoyed the book, especially because you happened upon it. I have some reservations about the cover art, so i'm glad it's not scaring people away. And thanks for your story. I'm currently checking my email in a tiny school in a slum in Bombay with a 56/kps connection, so i've only got a second here; i'll read it when i have a bit more time and where other people need the computer less than me.

I'll drop you a line once I've read it and once I'm back in Toronto maybe we can grab a tea or something. "


Pretty neat. I can't wait to hear what he thinks about my story.

The story I wrote is titled "The Untold". i wrote it in eleventh grade but i don't remember why. It could have possibly been for my creative writing class, but all i remember is how much it consumed me at the time. every time i went to keep writing i felt taken over by something else. i had this image in my head but nobody ever got it completely.

If you want to read it, go here.

I'll leave you with another exerpt.

Pages 120-21:
"The sound of the helicopter fades.
After a short silence, Kaliope turns to Ruth. 'What makes you think everybody is going to want to dance to a universal groove?'
'What?'
'Would you want to attend a party attended by the whole world? Doesn't a successful party require some people to not be invited? Isn't that half the fun?'
'You didn't tell me you had family here.'
'So?'
'What did this aunt of yours do that was so worthy of arrest?'
'You know, you've got to know who you're not to understand who you are,' says Kaliope, backing Ruth up toward the futon.
Ruth sits on the futon. 'But you know who you're not only by virtue of who you want to be.'
Kaliope moves in. 'Which is just another aspect of who you're not.'
Ruth stands. 'It's who you're going to be!'
'You wish.'
There's a pause, then Ruth slaps Kaliope hard. They are both surprised.
'I can be anything I want to be,' Ruth offers as an excuse.


Oh, P.S. I will soon be interviewing a crazy man named Tim Fite. Excited!

3 comments:

Darren said...

hahaha, Google Alerts actually work!!
Thanks for letting people know about the book!!
. still in India, flight leaves monday at 2 am (yuck). back in the teenage city monday afternoon. i'll be in touch once i'm settled

later,
Darren

Jessica said...

Wow! Well I guess that's fair, I found you and then you found me. Hope it didn't weird you out! Have a nice flight!

Jen said...

Tehehe