A lake called Ghost, a watching hawk, and tiny frogs formed from soil and bark are pieces of the setting for the drafting of a letter. The draftee, a younger me, was squinting in an aluminum “mirror,” hoping to make concentric rings in a heart.
Holly, I loved this! I thought it brought something new and distinctive to the experience of reading/listening to a Substack. Somehow, it made me think of the track Hard Drive by Cassandra Jenkins: https://open.spotify.com/track/3ArnNhm8z0ScjDKfGHSBRk?si=dbff783e642d4d8d (I'm not quite sure why).
Jeffrey! Thank you. I listened to Cassandra Jenkins all morning. And wow. I'm so glad you turned me onto her and find my piece making you think of this track extremely flattering.
I will most certainly continue to experiment with sound and recording in different ways. I quite enjoy it.
Your reading, your commenting, and your encouragement mean the world, my friend. :)
Love this: "You asked why I’m out here. I feel like the connectedness is all tied up somehow to what I’m searching for. The details, though, are still vague. It’s like looking into the aluminum “mirror” on the wall of the wash-up station by the ranger’s building. I can hardly make out my face. Sometimes, I’m impatient for the image to sharpen. But it’s not a distortion of steam that I can simply wipe away." Is that what it's all about, seeing our selves come into sharper and sharper focus (if we're lucky, if we're looking.) You're on to something, Holly. 💜
Loved the voice reading! Something didn’t work for me. I think the footnotes act as a disruptive element. In the audio edition. But that’s my opinion and experience of the piece. Would like to know why you divide a story up when you have a good story to tell. I hope my comments make sense.
Thanks for sharing, Writer Pilgrim. As to your question, I recall having read an essay in the conceit of a letter where the footnotes where as much a part of the story as the letter itself. And I thought it quite brilliant. I believe it was about Billy the Kid and maybe the narrator was his executioner. I'm not sure. A quick google search didn't bring it up. I'll go on a deeper dive and come back for another comment if I find it. At any rate, that's what I was attempting in this story. A narrator's voice looking at a letter written by the character who was a younger version and adding in the nuance of what was different then and now. The recording was an attempt to capture the two voices in conversation.
I got the two voices. But didn’t understand why or how they linked. That stopped the flow of the story. I don’t know of the other story either that you referred to. Audio is not as straightforward as writing or perhaps it’s me. 🙏
“Longing to be seen,” you wrote a letter that shimmers with longing. I see it in the photo too. You are able to write meaningfully about connection because you understand longing.
We do, don’t we? But maybe, since all the looking ends up working out in one way or another, it’s not so wrong after all. 🤭 Thank you, Mary, for your generosity.
Wow, did this hit: “I feel like the connectedness is all tied up somehow to what I’m searching for. The details, though, are still vague.” Somehow you’ve made a snippet of your specific, personal journey sound like life, like that universal (isn’t it? It is, I think) search for something, some meaning, unclear but big and important and true and hidden and worth the journey.
Holly, This chapter will send me back to the beginning. So many questions, having come it the middle. And of course I liked it very much. Those tiny frogs!
Thank you, David! I had forgotten those frogs until I found this letter and my notes in the log I kept during this journey so many years ago. But as soon as I read about them, the memory came back. It was such a trip and a joy. I kept trying to stop fast enough to actually see them. It felt surreal. :)
I read a few lines I liked and I was going to start copying and paste-ing them into this comment but then as I kept going I realised I would have to copy and paste the whole piece into the comment box and that just didn’t seem helpful.
I think I’ve said it before but you have such a masterful way of writing about nature and your experience of being in it. It’s wonderful, Holly.
The concentric rings rippling out from your writing told me that you were in New Jersey, my home for 25 years. While I was there, I wrote the registration database for Tom Brown's tracker school.
No way! What a small world. It was a delight to go back and remember reading Tom Brown and practicing his tracking skills. Ha. How cool that you have that connection.
Thank you, thank you for being here and commenting. It's much appreciated.
Holly, I loved this! I thought it brought something new and distinctive to the experience of reading/listening to a Substack. Somehow, it made me think of the track Hard Drive by Cassandra Jenkins: https://open.spotify.com/track/3ArnNhm8z0ScjDKfGHSBRk?si=dbff783e642d4d8d (I'm not quite sure why).
I hope you'll repeat the experiment!
Jeffrey! Thank you. I listened to Cassandra Jenkins all morning. And wow. I'm so glad you turned me onto her and find my piece making you think of this track extremely flattering.
I will most certainly continue to experiment with sound and recording in different ways. I quite enjoy it.
Your reading, your commenting, and your encouragement mean the world, my friend. :)
I'm glad you enjoyed the Cassandra Jenkins track!
You're one of the freshest, most talented writers on this platform and I'm so glad to have found your work.
I’m blushing, Jeffrey. Thank you. You can’t know how much I needed to read this today.
Listening to Cassandra Jenkins now, how cool. What a great recommendation.
Right?! She’s in my regular playlist now.
Love this: "You asked why I’m out here. I feel like the connectedness is all tied up somehow to what I’m searching for. The details, though, are still vague. It’s like looking into the aluminum “mirror” on the wall of the wash-up station by the ranger’s building. I can hardly make out my face. Sometimes, I’m impatient for the image to sharpen. But it’s not a distortion of steam that I can simply wipe away." Is that what it's all about, seeing our selves come into sharper and sharper focus (if we're lucky, if we're looking.) You're on to something, Holly. 💜
If we're lucky, if we're looking--indeed.
Thank you, my friend. I so appreciate you.
Loved the voice reading! Something didn’t work for me. I think the footnotes act as a disruptive element. In the audio edition. But that’s my opinion and experience of the piece. Would like to know why you divide a story up when you have a good story to tell. I hope my comments make sense.
Thanks for sharing, Writer Pilgrim. As to your question, I recall having read an essay in the conceit of a letter where the footnotes where as much a part of the story as the letter itself. And I thought it quite brilliant. I believe it was about Billy the Kid and maybe the narrator was his executioner. I'm not sure. A quick google search didn't bring it up. I'll go on a deeper dive and come back for another comment if I find it. At any rate, that's what I was attempting in this story. A narrator's voice looking at a letter written by the character who was a younger version and adding in the nuance of what was different then and now. The recording was an attempt to capture the two voices in conversation.
I got the two voices. But didn’t understand why or how they linked. That stopped the flow of the story. I don’t know of the other story either that you referred to. Audio is not as straightforward as writing or perhaps it’s me. 🙏
“Longing to be seen,” you wrote a letter that shimmers with longing. I see it in the photo too. You are able to write meaningfully about connection because you understand longing.
Thank you, Rona. I always deeply appreciate your reader's ear and pointing out what you see in my work. :)
Sounds like a beautiful place and experience. 🥰
Thank you, CK. It was and it was. :)
Holly, Not sure my comment posted. I said, We often look for love in all the wrong places to be found. Restacked, as you asked!
We often look in all the wrong places to be found. Love this. Restacked as you asked, Holly, generous friend here.
We do, don’t we? But maybe, since all the looking ends up working out in one way or another, it’s not so wrong after all. 🤭 Thank you, Mary, for your generosity.
And sorry for the dupe. Holly. Loving this ...
Wow, did this hit: “I feel like the connectedness is all tied up somehow to what I’m searching for. The details, though, are still vague.” Somehow you’ve made a snippet of your specific, personal journey sound like life, like that universal (isn’t it? It is, I think) search for something, some meaning, unclear but big and important and true and hidden and worth the journey.
Thank you, Stephanie! I so very much appreciate you reading and commenting. And yes, I do believe it is universal. 🥰
Holly, This chapter will send me back to the beginning. So many questions, having come it the middle. And of course I liked it very much. Those tiny frogs!
Thank you, David! I had forgotten those frogs until I found this letter and my notes in the log I kept during this journey so many years ago. But as soon as I read about them, the memory came back. It was such a trip and a joy. I kept trying to stop fast enough to actually see them. It felt surreal. :)
I read a few lines I liked and I was going to start copying and paste-ing them into this comment but then as I kept going I realised I would have to copy and paste the whole piece into the comment box and that just didn’t seem helpful.
I think I’ve said it before but you have such a masterful way of writing about nature and your experience of being in it. It’s wonderful, Holly.
Aw, Michael. I cherish every one of your comments, my friend.
The concentric rings rippling out from your writing told me that you were in New Jersey, my home for 25 years. While I was there, I wrote the registration database for Tom Brown's tracker school.
I loved this! Going back to the beginning ...
No way! What a small world. It was a delight to go back and remember reading Tom Brown and practicing his tracking skills. Ha. How cool that you have that connection.
Thank you, thank you for being here and commenting. It's much appreciated.
I remember talking to some of his staff about some of the survival skills they learned. Oof.
Oh I can only imagine!
Very nice! Speaking of water ... The Way of Water, Avatar 2.
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/avatarde
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/you-and-i-feel-it-all
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/a-luv-phield-trap
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/lets-get-sure-happy-bra
Thanks, Libor!