Week 499 is now here.
Something came up this week that I want to address and that’s commenting.
This isn’t about any of you lovely people, it’s about my thinking when I comment.
This was brought to light when Dale commented on one of Leila’s early stories and I looked back to remind myself of the tale. I found that there was nothing from me.
You’ll all know that I preach about the attributes of commenting but here was me, not doing so.
I decided to use this post to say sorry for any that I’ve missed.
When we first started this, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to say anything as I wanted to leave that up to the readers. Sorry, in those days, reader!
I also felt that as we had discussed the stories then it seemed a bit of overkill to add anything further.
I changed my mind and thought that me even adding one comment would please the writer so I tried to do them all.
But there are still some that I’ve missed and that is due to a few reasons. None of which are me not wanting too. Sometimes holidays have messed up my routine, computer problems and the odd night or so of over-indulgence.
If I comment quick, that simply means that I have already read the story and made my views known to Leila and Diane and I simply copy them onto the site. I’ve eventually come to the conclusion that I like to do that as it’s transparent and the writer can see my initial thoughts. (I use Diane and Leila’s discussions between us for the Saturday Review of the week’s stories)
The reason I’m writing this is to apologise to anyone who I have missed. I try as much as I can and if I see the likes of Dale flagging up an old story, I’ll be sure to check that my comments are there.
Just as an aside, our system has its problems and Kismet kicked me in the bollocks when I was trying to find our initial comments for ‘Nor Help For Pain’ by Leila.
To my utter frustration, our system is continually evolving and not for the good, more to simply piss me off. For example, we have a sort of summary sheet which at one time it was easy to copy as it copied all the changes (Font size and boldness) but now it knocks it back to a regular default so you need to alter everything that has been sodding altered!
The problem we now have when we type in a title is the sodding thing searches word for word so if any story starts with ‘The’ you can imagine how fucked we are. The only way to thin down the amount of ‘results’ is to try and use the more obscure words of the author or title.
When I looked at Leila’s title I saw the word ‘Nor’ – ‘There’s the very beastie’ I thought. I reckoned it would take no-time. Well, I got a surprise. It seems we use the word ‘Nor’ a damn site more than I would have thought. Eleven pages I had to go through! And the next kick in the balls was when I expected a hundred words or so of insightful commenting from me, but that hadn’t happened. One sodding line was all that was there!!
Okay folks, here is a section that will have all the more learnered (Is that spelling correct??) (No it’s not, Hugh – and now I can’t change it – pfft – dd) of you pulling your hair out. Me myself I (I love Joan Armatrading) have no more hair to pull out. What wasn’t pulled out, fell out…Or maybe the other way around!
Anyhow, I have read folks quoting Nietzsch and Twain lately so I wanted to throw in my uninformed and mixed up thoughts on a brilliant quote who I attributed to, I think, the wrong person!
But me and classics don’t bode well together. Best of luck if you can follow this!!
I first came across Nietzsche’s work in the brilliant film staring Ben Kingsley and the Amazing Sigourney Weaver, ‘Death And The Maiden’ (I didn’t know that it was Nietzsche who said, ‘What doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger’ Not sure if he knew about many of those pesky flesh eating bugs??)
I’m not sure if I enjoyed Gandhi – Surely they could have found an Indian actor?? I reckon that using the English as English Mr Ben Kingsley was a bit of an insult when you think on the Indian / Britain history??
What I did like was a sketch show that I saw (For the fuck of me, I can’t remember which one!) which showed a skit where there was a shop selling ‘Stretch’ Gandhi – They marketed it as ‘Bendy Ben Kingsley’ That is probably insulting in so many levels!
Anyhow, I thought it was Nietzsche who said, ‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did’
I’m sure I heard this somewhere and the line following the quote was ‘But then again, Nietzsche died of syphilis’
I decided to check this out in the actuality that is the internet and I shouldn’t have been surprised that I became more confused..
I see that quote is associated with Twain. I checked to see what both of them died of and I found pneumonia, heart attack and one mention of syphilis, so that was all crystal.
If those details are wrong (Really!!) then I just want to say that line and the rebuttal is a travesty if the circumstances didn’t fit!!!!
You all may now understand why I don’t quote the classics!!!
Okay, onto this week’s stories.
Two newsters, two third timers and a brilliant, inventive, steady campaigner for your delight this week. As always, we welcome our new writers and also as always, our initial comments follow.
First up was our first new writer, Rebecca Disley with ‘Lonely Ghosts.’
‘Beautiful descriptions.’
‘Some lovely word play.’
‘There is something that is emphasised at the end.’
Another new writer for Tuesday. This time we had Thomas Allen Hayden and his first short for us entitled, ‘The Last Good Day.’
‘I enjoyed the tension between them.’
‘There is such a sense of sadness in this.’
‘Well written with great depth.’
Wednesday is my least favourite day of the week as I have to work and would rather chew my left testicle off. But to alleviate this hatred of the day we had a wonderful story by Gil Hoy.
‘What We Discard’ was Gil’s third outing for us.
‘A bit odd! I liked it!!’
‘Observational.’
‘There is a different perspective here.’
On Thursday we had Mr Dave Henson with ‘In The Blink Of An Eye.’ This was Dave’s impressive thirty-fourth outing for us.
Also, I know that Leila told you all last week but next week, ‘Week 500’ we have the pleasure of Dave being the first guest Saturday Post writer! Check your emails guys, all you regulars may be invited to do a Posting if you should so wish.
‘Clever.’
‘Well written and enthralling.’
‘This reminds me of that horrifying film, ‘Johnny Get Your Gun’ that gave me nightmares!’
And we completed the week with another third timer, Simon Nadel and his story, ‘Nice Young Lady Vanishes.’
‘Deep.’
‘I became angry as I read this, so all good!!’
‘Sometimes being invisible is an asset.’
That’s us once again guys, just the usual reminders. Please check out the Sunday Postings and get involved if you want. And comments, well, I’ve probably covered that earlier but please comment or (Note to self) remember to do so!!
…A wee ‘Thanks’ is always nice if someone has taken the time to read and comment on your work!!
Two things to finish.
First off a wee recommendation. I just watched a film that blew me away. I knew nothing about this story or these inspirational men. If you haven’t seen it, please check out the 2018 film ‘Green Book’. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t know what a green book was.
And last silly wee remark once again comes from Tam Cowan’s column in ‘The Daily Record’
Isn’t it weird that the smell of a candle’s flame is the exact same as burning nose hair!
Since I have mentioned a film, this came to mind. The film is superb and the music is stunning. You can also seek out piano, orchestra and guitar versions – Every one of them are absolutely heart-wrenchingly beautiful.
The reason I chose this one was simply for the late great Pete Postlethwaite!! (I like that that rhymed!)
He knew Kaiser Soze you know!!
Image by harshahars from Pixabay – red buttong with comment in white and a white speech bubble.
literally stories 
Hugh
A fitting farewell to the 400’s. Thank you for the mention, it gives me a chance to acknowledge Matthew Arnold’s Dover Beach for the title. Oddly, I first heard of that poem in Bradbury’s F. 451.
I imagine no one has left more comments (thousands, literally) than you! Hey, I know that clip!
Thanks again
Leila
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Dear Leila/Irene/JC Freeman Etc,
Utilizing Matthew Arnold through the medium of Bradbury is yet another stroke of genius. (And, anyone who can read “Dover Beach” without metaphorical or real tears in their eyes needs to check for a pulse.)
William S. Burroughs quoted Arnold on reading/commenting on stories. Arnold had three criteria. 1. What is the writer trying to do? 2. How well do they succeed in doing it? 3. Does the work exhibit “high seriousness” (even if it’s madly hilarious)?
Burroughs added a fourth criteria. WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW.
These four points seem valuable things to consider in a comments section/string on commenting.
DWB
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Hi Dale
I clearly recall the poem in 451, but he spoke it toward the end. I was maybe 20 or younger. It occurred to me to look in the small print for attributions and I found it. Such a great work. I have a few favorites taped to my wall. Dover Beach is among them
Thank you again!
Leila
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Dear Leila
I’d love to hear what other poems you have taped to your wall if you feel like sharing some time. Some or all of them. Already been rereading “Dover Beach” today. Absolutely inspiring! Thanks. Interesting to think about how Stephen King wrote eight novels based on Robert Browning’s single poem, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came,” an utter masterpiece which is like a short story in verse. The King claimed he didn’t even understand the poem when writing the novels, only the spirit of it. (Browning took the title from “King Lear” in turn.)
Dale
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Hi Dale
I like to tape stuff to walls. Cartoons, poems, song lyrics. Dover Beach stays up through the years as does sections of Omar K’s Rubaiyat. Yeats; Will’s sonnets and currently The Braggart by Dorothy Parker. They usually fall off after a couple years. I also pick up old copies of National Geographic from the 60’s to leaf through when I write about that time. TV listings from back then are also great memory joggers!
Leila
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Hi Leila,
Thanks as always.
That film ‘Brassed Off’ as well as ‘Pride’ are two of the best films ever about Social Commentary of those time. You go back further, ‘Elephants Graveyard’ for Scotland says it all!
I try to comment as much as I can, even though Gwen says I should shut the fuck up at times! (Most times I might add) Oh that’s not about the site, just life in general!!!!!
Ah romance after, just about forty years, is alive and dead!!! I judge her for staying with me all these years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers and all the best.
Hugh
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This is excellent in that a) it was yet another entertaining round up post and b) it gives me the chance to say that I know I never used to comment very much. The reason was simple, I thought that if I missed someone it would look bad. Like you Hugh there are times when it is just not possible because of time constraints, traveling, dead interweb or family commitments and I just can’t do it. Then I thought well, I do want to acknowledge the writing and the effort etc so I have come to terms with it. I will comment as much as I can and just hope that if I don’t manage it people won’t notice that my two pennorth is missing. I love a brass band! Thanks for this – dd
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Hi Diane,
I have always thought that you comment on every story as you do between us and I add them into the round-up.
To be honest – I hate a Brass Band. But there was something about this film that was so touching. And that piece of music is stunning!! In saying that, christmas is only tolerable due to the Sally Army annoying me in the High Street!!
We worked in Auchinleck (A mining town) from 1985 and we saw the devastation that CUNTBITCHTHATCHER had caused. A proud workforce became a district of hand-outs and they hated that and couldn’t handle it.
This is maybe over simplifying things but that workforce either worked or went to the pub of a weekend. When they couldn’t work, they thought they had to go to the pub and that instigated a helluva lot more issues.
I can stand back and comment but there are those who lived through and would have a hundred horrific stories to tell.
One scene in ‘Pride’ shows a fund raising Bingo in the the early eighties in Wales, in a mining village, where the organisers are making sandwiches of margarine!
It is heartbreaking and every kid in Britain should be made to watch it as part of their school work and Social History!!!
Thanks again.
Hugh
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Good post, Hugh. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t see you comment on a story. Thanks again for publishing mine this week and for the kind words. Not to mention the honor (risk?) of LS allowing me to be a guest poster next Saturday.
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Hi Dave,
Thanks for that.
I do get that heavy feeling in my stomach when I realise that I haven’t commented then I think ‘I’m only human’…Others who know me may disagree!!
You don’t need to worry about next week and we were delighted that you accepted. It will be fun!!!
HAH! I love you using the word ‘Poster’, I had never thought of that!
I was listening to some music the other day and just realised that ‘Jeepster’ would be a cracking name for a dog or cat!!!
See you next week my fine friend.
Hugh
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Dear Hugh
Thanks for this post/essay/commentary/article on commenting. As for myself, I find the comments sections on the LS site equally as, and sometimes more interesting than, the stories themselves. Since I consider myself a literature professor as much as a creative writer, this is not surprising from my angle. But it also says much for the high quality of the commenters who are commenting on the site.
In the old days, writers used to write letters in to literary magazines. The letters were often published alongside the stories. H.P. Lovecraft was a master at this and that’s how he started his writing career. Later, literary journals stopped doing this for a long time. And these days, most academic literary journals in America still don’t do this. So the LS site is both resurrecting a grand tradition, and adding a new twist because of the way the internet runs, etc. It creates a multiple-sided literary dialogue where the stories and authors are given their due, and the art of writing is considered from many angles.
I also agree with Diane that authors on the site shouldn’t feel paranoid or personally offended if and when regular commentators don’t comment. It could be that they needed the day to put everything they had into a piece of their own creative writing. Maybe they were exhausted. Or maybe they didn’t understand the story and don’t feel they can say anything of value. Or maybe they wrote a lot about the author’s last story and never heard back, so they feel like they’ve already said all they have to say.
In any case, random, silly, or stray comments, do say something, but maybe they don’t say too much. There’s very little of this on this site. Commenters should take it seriously and bring as much of themselves to this kind of writing as any other, whenever and however often they possibly can. This site is going to be a literary artifact for a very long time to come. I’m absolutely sure of this for a wide variety of reasons which I can (and will) outline and articulate in another place.
I say congrads and thanks to the regular commentators on the site, and the ones who don’t comment often but who bring everything of themselves to it when they do comment. You’re doing something important, and you’re doing it in an interesting, fascinating, and lasting way. William Blake said he didn’t write for the general public, he wrote for children and angels. He was being both humorous, literal AND figurative. Some of Emily Dickinson’s most beautiful, lasting writing is contained in private letters that were originally intended for a single recipient. The comments sections on LS are literary treasure troves. Thanks for all you do!
Sincerely,
Dale
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Hi Dale,
Thanks as always my fine friend.
I love that you have mentioned ‘The Letters Page’ as, not so much for specific articles or pieces of writing, but more for the mix-match of comments that are still sent out into our local newspapers. (Aye I know, I’m probably only one of a very small percentage who still read a paper – I have yesterdays and todays awaiting me.) I always read them and some of the content is pure gold. There is a lady who writes poetry and sends it frequently into The Ayrshire Post – She would give McGonnagle (Sp???) a run for his money. Not due to word count, just due to how terrible they are.
There was also a person who commented on a disease that had popped up asked if the Scientists had ever considered it coming from Outer Space? As always you get the numpties complaining about car parking and dog shit but there are some that make the comments on dog shit and car parking seem intelligent!!
Thanks so much for the praise about the site – We run it but the likes of yourself and all our writers, readers and commentators put the life into it.
I hope all is well with you and yours.
Hugh
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Dear Hugh,
Just want to add that your writing has something of the great spirit, straightforwardness, generosity, openness, understanding, critical intellect, honesty, and humanity of Robert Burns, one of the greatest and most quoted writers of all time. EVERYONE should read, and study, and internalize, his short poem “To a Mouse,” widely available on the internet. Thanks again for everything you do!
Dale
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Hi Dale,
Scottish people get a wee bit teary eyed when it comes to Burns. I can’t remember where I read it but I’m sure that he was quite willing to be a slave charge hand if his poetry hadn’t sold – That takes away a wee bit of his man of the people vibe.
We have many Burns memories around where I stay, pubs, Kirks and bridges. The village of Alloway is only a mile or so from where I stay and that was where Tam O’ Shanter was based.
I hate to slag off a pub but ‘The Tam O’ Shanter’ in Ayr looks stunning but the manageress is horrible. The beer is fine but they use that syrupy stuff for cola mixers.
Regarding ‘To A Mouse’ – Well I must say that rhyming ‘Beastie’ with ‘Breastie’ is either genius or emmm not!
At one time I was able to recite ‘John Barleycorn’ which is stunning but I think I’d need to re-learn it.
All the very best my fine friend.
Hugh
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Hi Hugh
I do know that Burns’ stance on slavery was far from politically correct at one point in his life. But as far as I know, he never expressed such sentiments in any of his poems/writings, or if he did it was very little. I do believe that we still need to give him credit as one of the finest humanitarians and democrats who ever lived. One reason would be that his writing had a very massive impact on shaping the worldview of none other than Abraham Lincoln, who was a lifelong reader and re-reader of Burns from his boyhood and youth in Kentucky and Illinois on to the bloody end in Washington DC. Of course, old Abe himself was far from perfect. But other than Frederick Douglass himself, Honest Abe surely did more than any other single human being in bringing down the “peculiar institution,” which is what they used to call the American version of slavery.
The national character of Scotland and its songs also influenced many, or most, of the original blues players, the very women and men who invented the form. So the connections all remain endlessly real and fascinating. There’s a great folk singer called Bonnie “Prince” Billy from Kentucky who’s carrying on the tradition right now! I’ve seen him live a few times and he’s amazing.
Would have loved to hear you recite “John Barleycorn”!
Thanks so much as always!
Dale
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Dear Hugh,
I also want to add that anyone who wants to know how Nietzsche really died should watch the film “When Nietzsche Wept” from 2007. The film is fictional, but it probably says more about the truth than all the nonfictional biographies put together. (Available for free on You Tube last time I checked.)
Armand Assante plays Nietzsche. With this single role, he turned himself into one of the greatest living actors, hands down, for sure, and absolutely, without a doubt. Katheryn Winnick as Lou Salome and Ben Cross as Joseph Breuer are also amazing.
When you add Assante’s reincarnation of Nietzsche to his performance as Odysseus from a mini-series in 1997, his absolute greatness as an actor becomes even more important and apparent.
Twain died of creative exhaustion, age, and a lifelong tobacco habit. (“It’s nothing to quit. I’ve done it a hundred times.”) (As a teenager I lived very close to his hometown along the Mississippi River. I’ve been studying him, and Nietzsche, for over 40 years, which is why I’m so confident about it.)
Dale
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Hi Dale,
I first saw Armand Assante in the film of Mickey Spillane’s ‘I The Jury’. I had read the book and was interested to see how the film panned out.
I do think he is an underrated actor and he lights up the screen when he is in something. He was deliciously cultured but superbly scary in NCIS.
I’ll seek out that film about Nietzshe.
Thanks for all your involvement!!
Hugh
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Hugh
Not a good week to not-comment twice. I have excuses, but they are largely exaggerated.
And misspelling a word is another thing I was guilty of last week, which you also admitted to in your post. Instead of ‘index finger’ I wrote ‘index finder.’ But like an eejit, I commented on my comment to apologize. What I should have done is ignore it. An ‘index finder’ is more mysterious and provocative, and while unlikely, is not impossible.
Sorry Hugh! I’ll try harder. Your admissions make it easier to live with myself and learn.
Gerry
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Hi Gerry,
Your input to the site is much appreciated and you don’t need to scold yourself ever!!
Oh and please correct any typos with another comment – It gives the writer one more, so all good!!!!!!
I love your use of the wonderful word ‘eejit’ It should be universal. We have some claim to it, mainly due to us using it but that word can only be expressed fully when an Irish person says it! A bit like ‘Feck’. Please check out ‘Father Ted’, ‘Still Game’, ‘Two Doors Down’ Rab C. Nesbitt, for some Irish / Scottish humour at it’s very cynical best!!
Hope all in the world is good for you and yours my fine friend.
Hugh
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Hugh,
You knew to begin with I can’t feckin’ spell. So. But I promise to go easier on myself.
AND, I figure to learn a few new terms of endearment from Father Ted, which I found on You Tube or some Tube, presumably.
Gerry
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Hugh, you & Leila & Diane are the very last people who could be accused of being deficient in the comments department. Beats me where you find the time to comment at all.
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Hi Mick,
Give me a reason to yap and I will!!
To be honest, the three of us get such a buzz out of the site, that, anything we do is a delight!!
Hope you and yours are healthy and happy my fine friend.
Hugh
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As always, a thoughtful post about a great week of stories. Nietzsche also lost his mind whilst watching a horse being flogged – there’s a metaphor in there somewhere I’m sure, but buggered if I know what it is!
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Paul
You are absolutely right that Nietzsche’s decline and death is mysterious, probably as much as that of Van Gogh. I do know that Nietzsche had been on a manic writing spree that had been giving him wicked insomnia when he collapsed as he saw the man beating the horse. He was also an animal lover who always advocated against cruelty to animals, being way ahead of his time on this. And he’d also gotten to the point where everything he did was a metaphor, somehow connected to his writing work. Like the great Adam Smith, he’s a vastly misunderstood philosopher on many levels because of all his complexity. Thanks to Hugh for bringing up this topic which is well worth considering. It’s also worth pointing out that if he did have syphilis, he got it as an ambulance orderly in war, not from sexual contact. Many of his biographers believe he died a virgin. His visits to prostitutes were platonic, which was evidenced by the ladies themselves.
Dale
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Hi Paul,
It’s always a delight to see you around the site so thanks so much for that. And thanks even more for your comments on my witterings!!
I can also spot a metaphor, I’ve mentioned as much in some comments. I may be at a loss to what they mean but what the hell, there are folks who love to spot, analyse and take out what they want. (Between you and me – Sometimes it’s just about enjoying the writing. The hidden doesn’t always need to be thought on!!!!)
Hope you are happy, healthy and inspired my fine friend.
Hugh
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