I mentioned some time back that I had a flash nonfiction piece coming out in a journal called Toasted Cheese. There aren’t a lot of places that publish flash nonfiction (as opposed to flash fiction like my “Parking Lot Superhero” story). At least I haven’t found too many.
Here is the latest issue of Toasted Cheese, and in it is my story “And So It Goes.” I believe that if my name was taken off this and Superhero that nobody would guess the same person wrote both of them. The only thing in common is that both have an experimental quality to them. In the Story Shack piece, I used a structural twist to get to the essence of the story. In this new story, I begin at both the beginning and the end and then move through the story forward and backward.
“And So It Goes” is about my great-great-grandfather Pieter Mulder and my great-great-grandmother Neeltje Gorsse Mulder.
You can find the story here at “And So It Goes.”
“And So It Goes” is prose, but it will be in my chapbook collection based on my genealogical research. I expect to have two or three prose pieces, as well as poetry and prose poems.
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Remember that Toasted Cheese provides writing prompts and creative blog posts about writing.
On February 29, I posted this sample from December 15, 2015. You can find April’s writing prompts here.
What Do You Recommend?
By Baker
- Recommend on social media at least one thing you’ve read this year. If you don’t use social media, recommend in person. Independent authors are particularly grateful for recommendations.
- Create some recommendation business cards and leave them with your favorite works in the bookstore. You can print them at home. They could be as simple as the word “recommended” with a thumbs-up or a shelf card that lists why you recommend the book. Don’t put stickers on or in the books.
- Ask for recommendations at a used book store and/or independent bookstore. If you’re lucky, your local chain bookstore will have fellow book lovers who are well-versed enough to recommend as well.
- Recommend a book to a friend on Goodreads.
- While you’re there, write a recommendation of a book. If you’re stuck for one, think of a book you discovered on your own and write the review as though you’re speaking to your younger self.
I’d like to remind you that today is Holocaust Remembrance Day (began last evening) and Cinco de Mayo. Two completely different events to ponder, both related to war. Look at how much one day can contain. It reminds me that in writing it’s important to think small to go big.
Such a beautiful, sad story!
Oh, thanks so much for reading it, Elyse! xo
Lovely story, Luanne. Thanks for sharing!
Ah, thanks so much, Jill! I am thrilled that you liked it!
Lovely, Luanne. Congrats! xo
Thank you, Rudri! I am enjoying writing these short, experimental pieces!
It really “seemed real!” Take care and hope you are having a Happy Mother’s Day, dear friend!
Very observant, Robin!! Happy Mother’s Day to you xoxo!!!
Luanne, what beautiful writing and a very touching story.. You say a life time in so few words. Congrats.
Beautiful, Luanne, and I love the photo of them! Congratulations on this new publication!
What beautiful writing and so moving. This brief sentence–“The family figured they might as well make use of it.”–gave such a pang to my heart. Congratulations on getting it published and for sharing 🙂
Thanks, Marie. Know what I wrote it for? Our class . . . . Second one from that class published. It’s worth cleaning them up!
I might try, but mine need quite a bit more work 😉
I read the flash fiction and really hope you had a chance to read my response, Luanne! I didn’t want to join the choices so I wrote as a ‘guest.’ Your story about “you” as a student with a friend touched my heart in its beginnings. Then, Jack became a calming spirit in the science beaker experiments in eighth grade, later his Hero cape came fully into being, when the annoying bullies were targeting you and your friend stuck in the car. I hope against hope, that Jack’s life was altered somehow, in some way. Your story sounded real and your characters were well written, Luanne. I cannot remember what I wrote but I tried not to ramble a lot! 🙂
Robin, thank you so much for writing a comment on the Story Shack story. What you wrote is beautiful! You are so very sweet. Yes, I will admit that Jack’s story would be a roman a clef if it was a novel instead of flash fiction. Lotta fact in there . . . . I think about “Jack” fairly often and hope his life has been a good one.
I was moved by how you captured the way young people feel, closely connected with projects and sometimes feeling deeply for another person. I liked how you said you didn’t know if you wanted him for a science partner or a boyfriend. Longing is almost hormonal, at this age! 🙂
Ooh, I love how you put that: “Longing is almost hormonal, at this age!” So great. So true.
Luanne, that was so well done! I was right there in their lives. You really portrayed the emotions, the regrets, the resignation, the feeling of “that’s the way it was back then, and you did the best you could.” Well chosen words to say so much. I had tears prickling in my head by the end of the story.
Anneli, thank you so much for your heart-felt words. I love what you say about what is portrayed because that is exactly what I was going for! I love researching the ancestors and seeing what kinds of trials and tribulations they went through in their lives.
Lovely story, Luanne. It reads like fiction, even though it is “flash nonfiction,” which I didn’t even know was a thing. 🙂
So many other things to ponder in this post, as well. I, too, thought about yesterday being both Yom Hashoah and Cinco de Mayo.
Since you love history, Merril, I will say that some of my favorite books have been historical reconstructions of the lives of ancestors in the past. Books like Half Broke Horses and Still Life with Rice where the writers recreated the lives of their grandmothers!
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with such good spirits that it is hard to see it paired with Yom Hashoah.
You will appreciate that we were discussing some family history in the car today (my husband being the family taxi :).
I hope someone does your research while the getting is good! By the way, don’t think that Jewish history is unfindable (so many people have that impression). You should see the work this blogger has done! It’s a huge asset to history IMO. https://brotmanblog.wordpress.com/
Thanks, Luanne. I don’t think the history is unfindable, just that I don’t know if I can find it. 🙂
Oh, you’re right. I forgot. You are a really terrible researcher. [hahahaha]
I meant with all the other projects I’m working on right now. 🙂
LOL. I will admit it is super time consuming especially when you combine a family history blog with the research. What I mean is that I am constantly being contacted by people with all kinds of amazing leads, but I have so many “lines” going at once, I can’t possible work on all of them and also keep my documents and photos organized, etc. Help!
I understand–two rape books, a testing assignment due in a week, other stuff like blog posts (and poetry writing) :)–I have a photos that I got from my mom months ago that I’ve wanted to scan and share with family members! It’s hard to fit it all in.
Ugh, tell me about it. Then I am going to the doctor for a physical because I wonder why I am so exhausted ;).
Yeah.. .hope you feel better.
Oh, yes, wonderful nuanced story. Good job! And I’ve just ‘followed’ Toasted Cheese – thanks.
Oh, yay, enjoy their extras, Pam! Thank you so much for your kind words!
Such beautiful writing Luanne, sad and human and touching.
Thank you so much, Andrea. You make me happy!
Really lovely, Luanne. I can feel your family with you. Such a moving tribute.
Heartbreaking and beautiful.
Ah, thank you so much, Robin!!!