Catsignal is four years old today. Things have been a little lean this calendar year, but this is still very much a going concern. Thanks to those of you who stop by to read and enjoy and comment and critique. Invite a friend or two to join you; there’s plenty of room.
Author: bryon
Fiction: Personal Ad
I have never made a habit of reading the personal ads, so I missed the original publication. I learned of it quickly enough, of course, what with the entire city buzzing about it within hours of the Herald’s hitting the streets.“WANTED: Partner for suicide pact. Serious inquiries only. Respond to Box H3419.”
My husband, Murray, was the Herald’s editor then, and he was obliged to assign a reporter to tell the outraged world why the Herald accepted the advertisement.
Quotable 93
I think I can honestly say that I wrote these yarns for fun. It happens that I like to fool around with ideas like some people do with drill-presses or vegetable gardens or blondes. It’s a hobby.
– Will F. Jenkins
haiku 205
family portraits
with young dog, old dog
new dog
Fiction: Play the Game
As they walked from the car toward the restaurant, David hummed a few notes and fondly patted Laura’s right back pocket a few times.
“Got a song in your head?” she asked.
“One of Queen’s.” Before he could tell her which song, Laura spoke.
“If it’s Fat Bottomed Girls, you are a dead man.”
They stopped and he looked at her. The silence continued seven seconds longer than it should have before he replied, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
“That’s nice.”
They walked on to the restaurant. David opened the door for Laura and switched his mental soundtrack to We Are the Champions.
Quotable 92
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.
– Edwin Schlossberg
haiku 204
clear March night –
coyote’s call
startles visitor
Author’s Note: Special Haiku
No story today, but an extra haiku for the week:
crow moon –
home again after
grandmother’s funeral
Quotable 91
There are so many different kinds of writing and so many ways to work that the only rule is this: do what works. Almost everything has been tried and found to succeed for somebody. The methods, even the ideas, of successful writers contradict each other in a most heartening way, and the only element I find common to all successful writers is persistence – an overwhelming determination to succeed.
– Sophy Burnham
haiku 203
outbreak
Twitter feed filled
with tornado warnings