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Week 484: Omens and Owomens of the Superstitious World; A Week of Good Works; The Latest Ten on the Unsteady Jukebox (Part Three)

ireneallison12

Every night I sit here and bring submissions aboard. Although necessary and the soul of this undertaking, the “hi-how-are-ya” task gets redundant after a while, especially when there are twenty or so waiting. All that politeness and language watching is alien to my being and sometimes I will send a unique reply that either proves that I am not an AI, or if I were one that maybe a refund should be asked for from the Robot Store.

My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people in the world: 1.) Blessings, and 2.) Tests of Faith. There’s always someone representing both sides of that philosophy waiting in the inbox when I come by. And as I ingest a sufficient amount of the substances I am addicted to, it is pretty easy to see which way the hammer falls with each one.

Veteran submitters such as Tom, Fred, Marco David, Steven, Doug, Mick, Rachel, Harrison and Paul (and others, forgive me if I have omitted you) know the drill and are a pleasure to deal with. They are Blessings. New submitters who have read the guidelines are also Blessings. Even people who do everything correctly but accidentally have sent a pdf or have forgotten to attach the submission to the email (both of which happen at least twice a week) can be Blessings if they do not get snotty about the reminder I send them.

Tests of Faith require extra, nicotine, caffeine and a little bit more of something else in me for me to deal with. People who have obviously not read the guidelines, senders of blank verse emails without a name, just the story (or when they do write an email it is rude and snippy) are Tests of Faith. Luckily for these people, unless the sin is egregious many first time Tests of Faith are successful, because we are fair–even painfully so. And yet, at the same time, speaking for myself only, the transgression is not forgotten. There’s a spaghetti Western from the sixties called God Forgives, I Don’t. I feel no need to elaborate on that further.

One of the things I do to alleviate the monotony is listen to music on my Unsteady Jukebox. And whatever song is on at the time (or the next, if the same song is still playing) is called the Omen Song in my mind–and I will often note it on the submission under the word count and genre. Actually there is no omen whatsoever–but it is something to do. And this week, I’ve gone through my notes and will include the Omen Song from each story that we ran this week.

(The Unsteady Jukebox is always on: if you want to know what the Omen Song is when you submit, just ask me in the submission email.)

Four of the five authors were Blessings this week (I was the fifth; one cannot determine her own status in this regard). And coincidentally, all four of the Blessings are first time contributors to the site.

Newcomer Jaime Gill opened his account with The Monster and The Boy on Monday. It is a wonderful little thing reminiscent (as observed by Diane) of The Elephant Man. This one carefully explores the invisible boundary between the expectations of fantasy and the occasional surprises provided by so-called reality whose mantra is “no matter how rough you have it the other guy has it worse.” It is well measured and maintains a steady pace throughout. (Omen song–”Bad Boyfriend” by Garbage.)

Tuesday introduced Yoon Chung to the readers of our site. Scholars of the Rocks is an elegant piece that quietly unfolds and engulfs the reader. The mixing of the Now with a far off Then is done with great restraint. (“I Want it All” by Queen.)

Lanternalia by Will Pinhey creates tension and the unease draws in the reader. Although not belabored by the writer, there is a sense of shadow and darkness shot throughout it, and even the common lines come across with menace. It is a strange, almost David Lynch-esque world created here. (fittingly the Beatles’ “Sexy Sadie” was the omen song.)

Sigh…I was up on Thursday with Fairytale of Saragun Springs. Obviously influenced by “Fairytale of New York” by the Pougues and the late, heroic Kirsty MacColl.)

Our fourth newcomer, the wonderfully named Crockett Doob closed the week with Scarf in the Dark. The comparison “Kafkaesque” is overused when describing weirdness in print, but here it applies because Crockett took a mundane occurrence and used it to enter the mind of a person, whose mind is so bewildered by life that the little stuff is the same as the big. (Final Omen-“In a Big Country” by Big Country.)

Please check these tales out and leave your remarks for the writers–because all kindnesses are appreciated.

I close with a feature that I do every six months or so, which comes in handy when I am struggling for a close. These are the most recent 10 songs from my playlist, right now; as you might notice, “eclectic” can be used to describe it. Feel free to add your own.

1-Brand New Key–Melanie (R.I.P.)

2-Cry Baby Cry-Beatles

3-Dance Me to the End of Love-Leonard Cohen

4-Come Monday-Jimmy Buffet

5-Dirty Old Town-Pogues version (certainly lots of RIP in this run)

6-Killed by Death-Motorhead

7-So Far Away-Carole King (finally no death)

8-Lady Marmalade-Labelle

9-Total Eclipse of the Sun-Klaus Nomi

10-I Don’t Know How to Love Him-Yvonne Elliman

Leila

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Published by ireneallison12

23 thoughts on “Week 484: Omens and Owomens of the Superstitious World; A Week of Good Works; The Latest Ten on the Unsteady Jukebox (Part Three)”

  1. Good Saturday post as always. I never realized so many seem to ignore guidelines. Why step up to the plate with two strikes before the first pitch? I’d forgotten about Yvonne Elliman. In appreciation of the reminder, I’d add Everything’s Alright. Also a couple tunes by Joe Cocker: Hitchcock Railway and Cry Me a River.

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    1. Hi David
      And thank you. I recall Joe Cocker performing alongside John Belushi fondly.
      Perhaps I overestimate the percentage of Tests of Faith, more likely one in six. Like Russian Roulette. Then again that sixth one does make a big difference. (Looking forward to your upcoming appearance on the site!)
      Leila

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  2. Another great saturday post. Thnak you. The Unsteady Juke box is,, in my mind, a small thing, red in colour and standing on wee little legs that quiver and shake whenever a cat pounces onto the table. This of course will have the effect of ‘the box’ skipping a couple of tracks and therefore the Omen song is decided in part by felines .

    I don’t collect the music in our place – It is Ian’s big thing and has been for the last fifty five years or so and he also has what can be called eclectic taste. We sit outside in the evening with a wee dram and the music playing. It’s a chance affair. There are times when I am unimpressed and others when I enjoy every track. This week’s favourites have been Dylan and Farewell Angelina an eternal favourite and a little thing called Strange Boat by The Waterboys.

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  3. Two hynotic ones by artists now gone – “Got To Give It up”, Marvin Gaye, “Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” Gordo. Elvis, Fats, Little Richard, Jerry Lee oldies (to match the listener). Aretha, Ray. Oddity. Both Aretha and Ray recorded country weeper “You Are My Sunshine” and they rocks your socks off. That song was part of a story by my favorite (not best) author wrote.

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    1. Hi Doug
      Great choices. I once read that piano players who grew up in the south (such as Jerry Lee, Fats and Ray) were taught to omit the sixth from chords due to Satanic foolishness. That helped create rock and roll. Proof you can’t keep the Devil down for long.
      Thank you!
      Leila

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  4. Thoughtful and somewhat pragmatic essay, Leila, it dealt with real life. I was pleased to see the almost forgotten Leonard Cohen on your list. Here’s some from my own playlist: “I Need Somebody to Love” (Queen); “Into the Mystic” and “Caravan” (Van Morrison); “Golden Slumbers” (Beatles); “Fresh Air” (Quicksilver Messenger Service); “Ramble On” (Led Zeppelin); “Wish You Were Here: and the entire “Dark Side of the Moon” Album (Pink Floyd). I could go on, but don’t get me started. Nice one, Leila.

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  5. I imagine that sitting down every night to send ‘thank you for your
    submission’ emails must be as tedious as carrying endless boxes of firelighters upstairs (my worst-ever job). But I’m sure all authors appreciate knowing that the piece they’ve been slaving over has arrived safely. And not all mags send acknowledgement of receipt. And some mags don’t even send a rejection note. So believe me, your rapid acknowledgements are very much appreciated.
    I also appreciated the Leonard Cohen inclusion. I’d like to add his ‘Alexandra Leaving,’ plus Judy Collins’ version of Tom Thumbs Blues, plus Jeff Beck’s ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’, plus Jonathan Richman’s ‘Roadrunner’, plus The Stones ‘Jumpin Jack Flash’, plus….

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    1. Thank you Mick
      Always great to hear from you. Judy Collins just appeared in a theatre just down the street from here a few months ago. I hear she sold out about twenty minutes after it was announced. Still drawing them in in her eighties (that must be one of the few double in’s that actually makes sense).
      Thank you again!
      Leila

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      1. Judy Collins of Judy Blue Eyes Fame – Sunny Goodge Street, In My
        Life, Someday Soon. Women’s turn – your own “Heart”. Rock And Roll, Even It Up, Magic Man, Barracuda.

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  6. Well, I am delighted to be called a ‘blessing’ – I think a first for me! I am of course assuming I’m the ‘Paul’ being mentioned, which if I’m not makes this a very awkward comment! Great stories this week – all 5 of them ‘blessings’ in my opinion!

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  7. Hi Leila,

    So sorry it has taken so long to answer!!

    I support your comments regarding the submissions.

    I know that I have now and then said ‘No!’ simply because someone was rude with their email. How difficult is it to type ‘Please find my submission attached’…I just did it and it didn’t take long even with my shite typing skills!!

    The music that I’m listening to at this time is ‘Rockstar’ by Nickleback. Elvis Costello’s ‘A Good Year For The Roses’ was just on!!

    Brilliant post as always.

    Hugh

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    1. Thank you Hugh!

      I heard that Nickleback tune about an hour ago! “I’ll stay skinny, just won’t eat” is the only part of it I must disagree with. The Smiths are on now–Morrissey didn’t always suck.

      Thanks again

      Leila

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  8. Hi Leila,

    I love, is it Billy Gibbens, who sings ‘Been there done that’ about the ‘Mile High Club’???

    Brilliant – Real Rockstars not the spitting on their fans Wank-stains!!!!

    Hugh

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    1. Hugh

      Ol Billy is a Rock God. The boys used to play in caged stages when they began like in The Blues Brothers. And of all things there was an ice cream truck outside one of them that was a rolling brothel. I trust Bieber knows nothing about any of that.

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