Titanic Research

 Great picture, one I've never seen before. There is communication in silence: Find someone who looks at you the way Jack looks at Rose. From TitanicMovie on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcpyo93FXTi/?utm_source=ig_embed

Men's Boot Detail for Short Story in Progress

 Researching a specific detail for Solomon's boots: I came across Tony Lama Signature Series mens boots: $895 for vintage ostrich leather boots. 

However, I decided on $600 Wesco boots, crafted on the West Coast, an homage to Jack London. I liked the term "logger" in the description, given Solomon's loss of his spruce forest stand at the hands of his rival, Mason. 

https://www.popscreen.com/prod/MTA2MjM1MjI5/WESCO-MEN-VINTAGE-LOGGER-LINEMAN-FIREFIGHTER-WORK-BOOT-SIZE-8-D-eBay

 

 

Water as Symbol for Rebirth and Redemption

 During the 2020 pandemic, re-watching Titanic resonated  Although I didn't really fall for the movie when it came out, fortunately the accompanying publicity and hype entertained. 

Now with the pandemic, Titanic as tragedy as new resonance. Lately I've become an admirer of the film, the actors, the story.  While performing post-film research on the shipwreck remains, James Cameron stated he pitched the film by showing a water color painting of Titanic at night, pointed to it, and said, "This and Romeo and Juliet." The shortest film pitch he ever made.

When Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet first came out in the 1980's, I saw it. Any literature major is drawn to modern re-telling of Shakespeare. What I've noticed since re-watching Romeo + Juliet is that the first meeting between the two star-crossed lovers takes place in and under water. How prescient that Leonardo DiCaprio and Baz Luhrmann used swimming pool and fish aquarium water, long a Shakespearean symbol of rebirth and redemption, a year or three before LDC appeared in Titanic.

Thanks to the following website:

https://www.eightieskids.com/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-romeo-juliet/

S is for Silence

Sue Grafton, a mystery writer who is from Kentucky, was the primary mystery writer honored at the Triangle Sisters in Crime January meeting Saturday, 11Jan2020. Via the Yankee Auction I received S is for Silence, a Kinsey Milhone mystery.

Right away I read with pleasure Ms. Grafton's skill in giving her characters distinctive voices. Her victim, Violet, is a floozy who sounds like she's from Kentucky.

The mystery is set around Santa Teresa, California. While the characters all have distinctive voices that are a pleasure to read, I'm not certain I know California well enough to say they all have California voices. Interesting and I need to reflect about the technique.

I'm not certain they need California voices.

Second 2020 Short Story

The draft for the second short story completed, now I can ask readers: what are the key differences for a short story protagonist: man and woman? Expectations.

There may be none at all. The writer may count on an element of surprise, of breaking stereotype, or adding to the knowledge of human psychology. OTOH, there may be nothing at all.

The Flannery O'Connor short story, " A Good Man Is Hard to Find," might be re-drafted with the opposite gender, A Good Woman is Hard to Find." Ms. O'Connor has lectured that her woman was as dead on the inside as her wooden leg on her outside. We can change those two essential elements: man versus woman and dead versus alive.

Goal for 2020: 20 to 50 short stories.

Short Story Draft of 03Jan2020

Resources used for the new short story: Jack London's short stories. In addition, one rainy night (like tonight) when family and I were out eating, two grizzled old men were sitting by the restaurant window, arguing vociferously, using profanity, shocking fellow dinne rmates. To augment London, I've selected wisdom from Toby Hemenway. Key images: girdled trees, snow, treadmill, prey, and predator. To augment the two restauarant goers, well, you'll have to read for yourself.

"Treadmill as a Verb" Google search results, for those interested:
https://www.google.com/search?ei=oNgPXqHVNsGC5wKy0KSoAQ&q=treadmill+as+a+verb&oq=treadmill+as+a+verb&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i22i30l3.2292.4071..4448...0.2..0.114.903.8j2......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j0j0i131j0i67j0i22i10i30.95YgurBEK08&ved=0ahUKEwihpfTZ1OjmAhVBwVkKHTIoCRUQ4dUDCAs&uact=5