David Henson is one of our top contributors in both stories and daily comments for writers. Today we bring back his About Uncle Story.
This is a great piece of parallel writing and the end is both powerful and haunting.
For old time’s sake let’s ask David a couple questions:
Q-How do you feel about the piece now that a few years have gone by?
Q-Was the process quick or did you have to fight for the words?
David’s responses:
Q: How do you feel about the piece now that a few years have gone by?
I hadn’t read it in a long time, and revisiting it with fresh eyes was a pleasant experience (even though the subject matter is far from pleasant). The story’s genesis was far removed from where it ultimately ended up. A good friend once suggested a couple of story ideas—one about people disappearing when they sneezed, the other about a farmer who owned the world’s only clock. After a few months, I felt guilty I hadn’t used his ideas, so I put them in the opening of Uncle Story.
Q: Was the process quick or did you have to fight for the words?
The process wasn’t quick. I originally submitted the story to Literally Stories as a reprint. You folks gave me feedback and encouraged a revision, and I’m so glad you did. In this version, everything after “I was a child walking into my sister’s room to find Uncle Story holding her on his lap” is new. That material, to me, is much stronger.
In short, the story is bracketed by help from others—its beginning shaped by a friend’s prompts, and its ending made stronger through LS’s feedback.
literally stories 
Good morning David
Thank you for your answers. The little details about the Uncle’s stories were charming and made the result even darker and more effective.
Leila
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, Leila, many thanks to you, Hugh, and Diane for reposting this story.
LikeLike
David
In many ways this story feels like a Hans Christian Andersen piece (in a good way), based on folk tales or fairy tales and full of magic realism blending over into a grittier realism, and with a psychological twist at the end of the tale that is modern, disturbing, and doesn’t shy away from some of life’s harsher realities. This combination, or synthesis, of elements, makes for originality, therefore completely avoiding the dreaded “I’ve seen this before” feeling many lesser stories give the reader. Great use of brevity and wasting no words, too, almost as important for a short story writer as for a poet. As in all of your stories, not too much and not too little, but instead, just enough, and then you get out quickly, like Raymond Carver said to do. Excellent work! You are the real thing and this story proves it again.
Dale
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Dale. I wish the ending were as unrealistic as the beginning. Glad you liked the story.
LikeLike
Dear David
Hello! Just wanted to let you know that the Jim Morrison essay yourself and Geraint suggested and I said I would write was just finished recently and posted yesterday on Leila’s SARAGUN SPRINGS site in my weekly Sunday column feature there called “The Drifter.”
Thanks for the suggestion, yourself and Geraint both suggested the Jim Morrison topic at almost the same time. Great idea! The essay took a few months to find me (after several other attempts) but it’s there now whenever you have time. I think it says good things in an interesting way and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Thanks again!
Dale
PS, The title is “Jim Morrison and London.”
LikeLike
Hi, Dale, I’ll check out your JM essay.
LikeLike
Hi Dave,
An excellent story re-run for a Sunday.
I looked at my initial comments and was pleased to see that I gave you praise for the different type that you can take on.
You are an example of what I naively thought, you see, I reckoned that everyone who posted comments would be able to write. I know now that doesn’t always happen as through the years we have seen exceptions!!
But I’m adding your commenting into your fantasy / imagination and the stories that are more realistic in content. You can handle them all my fine friend!
Hugh
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a fine compliment, Hugh, and I much appreciate it!
LikeLike
Hi David
I almost never remember to comment on a rerun where it actually resides.
There’s humanity in this, little touches, that makes it personal to the readers. Too often great ideas are derailed by haste. You can almost see the writer streaking down the page. Certainly not here–it is well timed!
Leila
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Leila! Your kind words are much appreciated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I genuinely remember this one and it’s great to get a little insight into what went into these stories and the thought processes behind them.
LikeLike
Hi David, this was an eerily, subtle little story with a big punch, so well written. Thanks.
my best, Maria
LikeLike