Jeremy Mifsud's Blog, page 8
November 3, 2018
Generation Gap: A Fifty-Word Story
Generation Gap
I dragged my feet to the dining room and plopped myself on a chair.
Mum was reading another Danielle Steel novel. I mumbled through my depressed feelings. Her eyes didn’t budge.
Last week she spoke of how us young generation are always on phone, missing out. Look at her now.
Prompt: Book
Writer: Jeremy Mifsud
Photo: Yoshua Giri on Unsplash
Generation Gap
Generation Gap
I dragged my feet to the dining room and plopped myself on a chair.
Mum was reading another Danielle Steel novel. I mumbled through my depressed feelings. Her eyes didn’t budge.
Last week she spoke of how us young generation are always on phone, missing out. Look at her now.
Prompt: Book
Writer: Jeremy Mifsud
Photo: Yoshua Giri on Unsplash
Advertisements
November 1, 2018
Best Poetry Reads—October 2018
The Concept of Best Reads
As a writer, I realise how important the reader is. This year, I started posting book reviews on my blog (apart from Goodreads), to support the authors. However, as a poet, I realised that these were primarily reviews of fictional novels.
In the past couple of months, I have been reading online journals more frequently. Some of the poems and short stories that I read were magnificent, and it felt a shame to read them once and let them sit in the browser’s history until one day, that also vanishes. Halfway through October, I realised that tweeting about these poems was only a minor thing I could do, so I started bookmarking some of my favourite reads (i.e. subjective opinion), and in monthly posts, I’ll be sharing their links (it would be wrong to copy-paste other people’s work on here, right?)
Since this is the first month I’m attempting this and started out late, I have only three pieces to share.
Poem #1: Dreams of Mississippi Burning by Kalvin Marquiz
My favourite poem was Dreams of Mississippi Burning by Kalvin Marquiz, featured in The Adroit Journal. I get goosebumps each time I listen/read the poem.
It’s also a piece which I feel any comment I make cannot capture any of its essence accurately. It’s profound throughout, starting with the miscarriages of his mother and delving into being her queer son, and—just read it.
Poem #2: Cryptophasia by Todd Dillard
Cryptophasia was published in issue 4 of Longleaf Review. The title word refers to the cryptic or secret speech between two twins, and that’s what this poem is about. Todd is clever and uses language subtly to convey the profound relationships they had with their parents. Again, poetry is difficult to bring to words, so I just urge you to read this piece rather let me ramble.
Poem #3: The Cold Bench by Alisha N. Wright
I am subscribed to Rattle’s newsletter, in which once a day, a poem is sent to my inbox. One of the works they frequently share is part of their Young Poets Anthology, featuring various young writers. The Cold Bench particularly touched me, especially considering how natural the sense of loneliness is portrayed by a 10-year-old. These youngsters have real talent.
Reader’s Appreciation
I hope you enjoyed this post and reading the poems I have linked. Both as readers and writers, one thing we have easy access to is the internet, and it only costs us a little time to show appreciation to artists for what the experience they provide us. I urge any avid reader to write book reviews or share their favourite journals/books onto their social media and spread the word.
Other Links:
Kalvin’s twitter: Kalvin Marquiz
Todd’s twitter: Todd Dillard
Own publications: Jeremy Mifsud
Header Image: Rawpixel on Unsplash
Advertisements
October 20, 2018
Pulse: A Fifty-Word Story
[image error]
Pulse
Zack lay at the bottom of the stairs. Dianne dropped her keys and rushed to him. Her fingers detected no pulse from his windpipe.
She covered the wound and cleaned him from the blood. Zack’s light body was easy to carry.
Dianne breathed into his chest. He rose; she collapsed.
Prompt: Witch
Writer: Jeremy Mifsud
Photo: Jordan Whitt on Unsplash
Advertisements
October 17, 2018
Heartbreaker (The White Kid)
Two months ago, INKubator posted an exercise Get Cracking #1: Show vs Tell, where we had ten prompts that are ‘tells’ and we had to develop them into ‘shows’. The following poem comes from the tenth prompt, “That’s a cute kid you have.”
I decided to have fun with it, and got inspired by the Maltese saying “tal-gdim”, which would be literally be translated into biteable, and is used to show how cute a kid is. I was also inspired by the adulthood projects we often put on kids, declaring how they’ll be like in 20 years or so.
[image error]
Heartbreaker (The White Kid)
His plump cheeks flush red,
urging my hands to grab them
and stretch them out
as if his face were pizza dough.
Beachy blonde hair
sits atop of his head
like mozzarella strings,
waiting to be melted
in the summer heat.
His olive-green eyes gleam
above his rosy cheeks.
He sticks out his ham tongue,
acting his usual playful tease.
I said to his mother:
he’s a troublemaker,
he’ll be a heartbreaker,
but that’s all right cause
he’s both handsome and white.
Writer: Jeremy Mifsud
Exercise: Get Cracking #1: Show vs Tell
Photo: Aaron Mello on Unsplash
Advertisements
October 13, 2018
Tuesday Dinner: A Fifty-Word Story
Tuesday Dinner
Melita is an incredible cook. Today, she’s prepared a pumpkin soup, its bright colour contrasted by the garnishing of chopped chives.
She lays two hot meals on the table, sits in her chair waiting for her husband to come home from work.
It’s been fourteen years since he last worked.
Prompt: Pumpkin
Writer: Jeremy Mifsud
Photo: Jade Aucamp on Unsplash
Advertisements
October 7, 2018
Book Review: Like Bees to Honey — Caroline Smailes
Nina Aquilina travels back to her homeland, Malta, to visit her ageing parents who had previously disowned her. The stay turns out to be somewhat unexpected, as she finds out that Malta is where diseased spirits go to heal and move on to another stage in life. She talks with the spirits and drinks beer with Jesus while trying to find her identity and culture that she has left behind in her youth.
The story embodies Maltese culture beautifully. Caroline Smailes immersed herself into the character and allowed the reader to experience something unique. Although Nina is Maltese, her establishing a family in England and being disowned by her parents had led to her loss in faith and culture. The re-exploration of her identity allows readers who are not familiar with Malta to be introduced to the rich culture. Dialogues include a few Maltese words, and the story occurs in historically rich locations and includes local cuisine. These are all aptly described in a way that connects you the story better.
Something I particularly liked was the rhythm of the story. It had hints of monotone and repetition, especially when describing sounds. The presentation of the book was also quite different. Although some reviewers disliked this style, I found it effective in aiding the concept of not being encapsulated by time. There’s a lack of urgency and it adds to the effect of identity diffusion. This monotony also helped me relate to Nina easier. I could focus on Nina’s depressive ambience, rather than complicated and bombastic writing.
It’s a two-edged sword almost. A technique that contributes to the magical story-telling can be interpreted as alienating writing, depending on the reader. Especially in the case of Nina, a person wouldn’t be so attentive and selfless to observe all around her, but rather focus on who is speaking, and it is a rare occasion I forgive the abundant use of dialogue tags. I am convinced that the writer did this intentionally (just a hunch).
The novel included a few chapters from the point-of-view of two spirits (or ghosts, whatever you want to call them). In the paperback version, their pages have a black border. This is a subtle difference (it is not distracting) to distinguish between Nina and the particular ghost’s point-of-view. However, their chapters did break the pace.
Personally, I really liked Tilly’s character and chapters, but, this almost had a drawback when I went back to Nina’s point-of-view. Although it was interesting, and I’d love to read a whole book from Tilly’s personality, I feel the author went too much into her life and away from Nina’s story. I didn’t particularly enjoy that dissociation.
Flavia Bellini’s part—not sure what to say about it. As a reader who was brought up in the Maltese-Catholic background, I was already quite familiar with the cultural and religious context. Thus, Flavia’s part was personally too long and somewhat boring. It’s a historic, religious story, repeated within this novel. I didn’t particularly find it useful within the story, at least not for the length that it took. That section did distract me from the main story, but perhaps it was pivotal considering Nina’s religious background and her attempt at rediscovering her identity and tracing religion along that line.
I read the book in a short span of time, which is a great sign. I’ve rated the novel 4/5 stars (I really liked it) on Goodreads. Most of my good ratings are influenced by impeccable character depth and/or outstanding writing. Like Bees to Honey is a unique work, and I judged it on a different scale, almost. Its storytelling sets it off from anything I have read previously, and that gets bonus stars on itself. I transported myself into the story quickly, empathising with Nina early on.
I even shed tears by the third chapter, and a book had never done that before. It’s a combination of great storytelling and similarities between Nina and I. The shame that Nina brought to her Catholic family for getting pregnant outside marriage is similar to what I felt when I came out as gay. Consequently, both Nina and I had lost our identities, and perhaps, this was one of the reasons I could immediately understand some of Nina’s experiences.
Overall, it was quite a pleasant read, significantly unique and deserves a place on your bookshelf (do read it with an open mind).
Sources and Links:
Book: Like Bees to Honey
Book Cover: Goodreads
Book Review: Jeremy Mifsud
Header Photograph: Cristina Gottardi
Advertisements
October 2, 2018
Inside Me (2 poems from Welcome to the Sombre Days)
Inside Me (1) was already posted on my blog, but now I’m adding Inside Me (2) alongside. Both poems are featured in Welcome to the Sombre Days.
Inside Me (1)
Little child,
angel wings,
pure heart.
Imitation of the holy,
acts of kindness,
sin is a foreign concept.
My feet follow a virtuous path,
my ears attuned
to the chimes of church bells.
Righteousness—
my mum nurtured it,
I take pride in that.
I pump my chest.
I’m the ideal kid,
unlike the other students.
At the daily mass
I kneel and chant
prayers of admiration.
With body, soul and mind,
I’m ready to receive inside me
the holiest man.
Inside Me (2)
Young man,
fallen wings,
corrupted heart.
Holiness has faded,
selfishness reigns
in a lone kingdom.
My feet walk in uncharted lands
searching rest
for my dreaded soul.
Righteousness –
it is an authoritarian myth
told by those in control.
I feel alone,
different than all the others –
there is no place where I belong.
I am a sinner now –
impure fantasies
clutter my consciousness.
I’ve become soulless,
my bare body is ready
to receive inside me
just another man.
Inside Me (1) and Inside Me (2) are poems from Welcome to the Sombre Days, which you can get from Amazon or Kindle. You may also add it to your books on Goodreads.
Inside Me (2 poems from collection)
Inside Me (1) was already posted on my blog, but now I’m adding Inside Me (2) alongside. Both poems are featured in Welcome to the Sombre Days, which is on sale until Saturday 6th October 2018.
Inside Me (1)
Little child,
angel wings,
pure heart.
Imitation of the holy,
acts of kindness,
sin is a foreign concept.
My feet follow a virtuous path,
my ears attuned
to the chimes of church bells.
Righteousness—
my mum nurtured it,
I take pride in that.
I pump my chest.
I’m the ideal kid,
unlike the other students.
At the daily mass
I kneel and chant
prayers of admiration.
With body, soul and mind,
I’m ready to receive inside me
the holiest man.
Inside Me (2)
Young man,
fallen wings,
corrupted heart.
Holiness has faded,
selfishness reigns
in a lone kingdom.
My feet walk in uncharted lands
searching rest
for my dreaded soul.
Righteousness –
it is an authoritarian myth
told by those in control.
I feel alone,
different than all the others –
there is no place where I belong.
I am a sinner now –
impure fantasies
clutter my consciousness.
I’ve become soulless,
my bare body is ready
to receive inside me
just another man.
Inside Me (1) and Inside Me (2) are poems from Welcome to the Sombre Days, which you can get from Amazon or Kindle. You may also add it to your books on Goodreads.
Advertisements
October 1, 2018
Book Sale: Welcome to the Sombre Days
Between Monday 1st October up to Saturday the 6th of October, the digital version of Welcome to the Sombre Days is reduced to $0.99 at Amazon (US & Global Store) and to £0.99 at Amazon (UK Store)
[image error]Welcome to the Sombre Days
Why? In the past few months, I have been engaging more actively in writing communities, and have improved my writing. When re-reading my own poetry, I was happy with what I had written, but felt that I could do better. I edited some of the poems and rewrote a couple to give the readers a better experience. At heart, it is still the same poetry collection, containing 88 poems in the same order. Simply put, the poems share their message a little better.
I have simply updated the book, so those who have already got the Kindle version can updated their version without having to buy a new edition. For the new readers, the updated version will be found in all purchased copies of the paperback and kindle.
Remember, the sale lasts less than a week, so make use of it:
UK: Welcome to the Sombre Days
US & Global: Welcome to the Sombre Days.
Read more about the collection on the information page: Welcome to the Sombre Days and it to your Goodreads.
Advertisements
