Summer Lovin’ Day 4: Tears on My Pillow
Today’s Participation Discussion is… Share the Feels!
Share a quote from your current read or tell us about a book that really pulled on your heart strings. What was it about that book/quote that made you cry?
Two stories/books immediately come to mind:
The first is a short story, “The Paladin of the Lost Hour” by Harlan Ellison. Say what you will about Ellison, and a lot *has* been said about Harlan Ellison, but the man can write some fine prose. This is the first story in the anthology Angry Candy.
The story is about two men, one old and one young, one black and one white, and a mystical pocket watch that staves off the apocalypse. It’s a story about friendship and responsibility and legacy and loss, and maybe a little bit about sacrifice.
And it gets me every time. Just to be sure, I reread it last night. Yep, bawling like a baby at the end. It was adapted for TV, for the Twilight Zone update in the 80s, but I can’t remember if I’ve ever seen it. It’s probably on YouTube, but there’s a slight bit of ambiguity to the story I don’t want to lose by watching the episode.
The second is a non-fiction book, 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. The book is a collection of letters between Hanff, a Manhattanite, and Frank Dole, a bookseller in London.
Over the course of 20 years, a friendship develops between these two very different people over their mutual love of books. They never meet in person. Hanff, a poor writer, nearly manages to scrape together the money to travel to England a couple times, but never gets there. It’s a gut-punch when Helene receives a letter notifying her of Franks death. (She does visit the shop and his family after the publication of the book, her most successful work).
I must say, while doing research for my novel, it’s hard to suddenly come upon the obituary of someone I’m researching. I feel like I’ve gotten to know the person, at least a little, but suddenly their story is over. Generally, death has very poor timing.
Reading Update
Got off to a good start Monday, reading-wise, but only managed to write 600 words before midnight. Caught up with writing on Tuesday, but a brain-foggy, arthritis flare-up, left me low on the reading page count. Yesterday, I finished Now You See It by Ricard Matheson, read my weekly poetry and short story, and got back to Cobweb Bride. And today, so far, I reread “The Paladin of the Lost Hour.” I’m in a tight spot with my writing, so we’ll see how much reading gets done. Part of me needs to remember that this is pretty much still a first draft and it’s okay if it sucks.
