I consider myself of a collector of unusual words, and I have been collecting since 2018, yet I found four in this story I’ve never even seen before. What an astounding story: funny, unique, expertly crafted.
“A scripted sermon that ended with a less-than-scripted litany of the alleged virtues of the dead lecher in the casket, whose smiling visage had already begun to take on the polymeric sheen of a ghastly Pez dispenser.”
Wonderfully written as always, Daniel, but what a great line this is. Absolutely brilliant 👍🏼
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this! I’m living overseas at the moment, and didn’t see this until this morning when I woke up. You’ve brightened my day. 😀
I spent my early years bouncing between Mooresville, Martinsville, Spencer and New Albany, all of which were at the back of my mind while writing it.
Ooh, this one was fun! This might be my new favorite of your short stories :-) I really love the internal monologue and insight into this unique character's mind!
Not everybody could take a story with a modern setting and blend it with such deliberately archaic prose, but you managed it so smoothly!
The language, while not exactly Poevian, would probably be at home in his era. So would the gradual revelation of the mental state of the POV character. What we think at first turns out not be be reality at all, just as is often the case in a Poe story.
Bill - This has got to be one of the kindest and most encouraging comments I’ve received in a long time. Thank you so much for brightening my day—and for sharing the story.
A deliciously strange and otherworldly tale that will forever change the way we look at Pez dispensers.
"He began with a solemn invocation to Jachin and Boaz (the brazen pillars flanking the entrance to Solomon’s Temple) before launching into a scripted sermon that ended with a less-than-scripted litany of the alleged virtues of the dead lecher in the casket, whose smiling visage had already begun to take on the polymeric sheen of a ghastly Pez dispenser."
I consider myself of a collector of unusual words, and I have been collecting since 2018, yet I found four in this story I’ve never even seen before. What an astounding story: funny, unique, expertly crafted.
I’m so grateful for your comment, Keith! Thank you so much for leaving it. It’s really brightened my day. 🙏
“A scripted sermon that ended with a less-than-scripted litany of the alleged virtues of the dead lecher in the casket, whose smiling visage had already begun to take on the polymeric sheen of a ghastly Pez dispenser.”
Wonderfully written as always, Daniel, but what a great line this is. Absolutely brilliant 👍🏼
Thank you so much, Daniel. 😊
A delight to read! Great story and delicious prose.
Thank you so much, Liz. That’s so generous coming from an excellent prose stylist such as yourself! ☺️
Cosmetics in the Antonine Period. I can’t believe someone else majored in this! Sparkling prose and storytelling here, Daniel.
🤭 Thank you so much, Adrian. And thank you for sharing the story.
Love this. Beautiful. Just...beautiful.
Said as a native Hoosier, born in Indy and now living in Somewhere.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this! I’m living overseas at the moment, and didn’t see this until this morning when I woke up. You’ve brightened my day. 😀
I spent my early years bouncing between Mooresville, Martinsville, Spencer and New Albany, all of which were at the back of my mind while writing it.
I'm in Camby!!!!
Ooh, this one was fun! This might be my new favorite of your short stories :-) I really love the internal monologue and insight into this unique character's mind!
Thank you so much Jacquie! ❤️ This one was a fun one to write. I really enjoy unreliable narrators.
Not everybody could take a story with a modern setting and blend it with such deliberately archaic prose, but you managed it so smoothly!
The language, while not exactly Poevian, would probably be at home in his era. So would the gradual revelation of the mental state of the POV character. What we think at first turns out not be be reality at all, just as is often the case in a Poe story.
Bill - This has got to be one of the kindest and most encouraging comments I’ve received in a long time. Thank you so much for brightening my day—and for sharing the story.
A deliciously strange and otherworldly tale that will forever change the way we look at Pez dispensers.
"He began with a solemn invocation to Jachin and Boaz (the brazen pillars flanking the entrance to Solomon’s Temple) before launching into a scripted sermon that ended with a less-than-scripted litany of the alleged virtues of the dead lecher in the casket, whose smiling visage had already begun to take on the polymeric sheen of a ghastly Pez dispenser."
😂 Thank you so much for leaving this comment, Alexander! And thank you for sharing it!
Not sure why the images are there. They distract.