If this is indicative of the different things you'll be trying this year, I'm slavering. NOBODY swings a literary sledgehammer like you, my friend. All I can say is: let 'er rip. Bring the fucking house down this year.
Ken!! Thanks, bud! This was something I had kicking around for a while, but it took forever to make it work (for me, at least.) I was quite fun and I think has some potential for stretching so I'll prob poke around with it. Thanks as always for reading my friend
this is stunning, will. such an economy of words to paint such a daring picture. also... i thought i was the only person obsessed with kiviak, so thank you for releasing me from my prison.
I love being on substack because I get to see people take unbridled literary risks / experimental choices. I will definitely reread this because there's a lot I didn't fully break down on the first read. constantly inspired by your posts!!!!
For what its worth — you call it an experiment, but it doesn’t feel tentative or loose the way those things can. It feels very much like your unique voice in a context that really showcases your ideas and truth-like objects. The more I read it, the better it gets.
I appreciate that. It was an experiment for me at least…trying to impart a picture of a relationship in this format. The format certainly has been done many times over
The 0 to 10,585 is gut wrenching tragedy. And again from 0 to 1 (almost worse). Agreed with all comments here that you’ve made the English language your bitch and I bow to your mastery!!!
This is one of the most intriguing ideas I’ve seen in a while — you killed it too. A paint by the numbers story where the numbers are given story meaning ???¿¿ You are (to quote my favorite Bible verse) “a wild ass of a man”
Will, this is an excellent, torturous (for the characters) and challenging for the reader, but well worth it. I instantly wanted to get out my drawing tools, assign numbers to colors and produce a Venus Paradise masterpiece, but that's not what you're writing about.
It's terrible to think of anyone who can't be their true selves in our world. You are who you are; no one chooses. Bravo!
Thanks so much Sandy. Indeed, we are who we are. Re: drawing, I was going for a paint by numbers vibe but I’m not sure the picture would be very happy haha
No, I don't think it would be either. At one point, I thought the two figures might be kissing, which was happier, but it actually doesn't look like that. You are very creative and imaginative. The paint by number picture can be seen as a metaphor for how much we depend on others to define us.
Im not sure what the numbers mean but there is a narrative arc for sure in the days in the closet numbers that gather to a lover asking their partner about coming out of the closet, the lover hesitating, before saying they are not coming out of the closet. So that's in three of the numbers. I think the other numbers are important numbers to the narrator that go through his head while he thinks of his answer and those numbers are connected to emotions that are essential to the question at hand. Funny, alive but trapped prose style. The content matched the form. Good shit.
Thanks, Andrew! You're right about the arc and the "days in the closet" numbers. I was attempting to do a "paint by numbers" type of thing where the narrator presents numbers central to their relationship. They are presented out of order and sometimes the narrator does this "also..." thing where he makes connections between the numbers. Thanks for the feedback, had no idea how this one would play out lol but it was fun as hell to write
If this is indicative of the different things you'll be trying this year, I'm slavering. NOBODY swings a literary sledgehammer like you, my friend. All I can say is: let 'er rip. Bring the fucking house down this year.
Ken!! Thanks, bud! This was something I had kicking around for a while, but it took forever to make it work (for me, at least.) I was quite fun and I think has some potential for stretching so I'll prob poke around with it. Thanks as always for reading my friend
this is stunning, will. such an economy of words to paint such a daring picture. also... i thought i was the only person obsessed with kiviak, so thank you for releasing me from my prison.
Haha another Kiviak-Stan?! We should make some
Pure excellence. You made math emotional.
Haha it’s about time math did something for me other than cause immense pain
this is really good
thanks, Ira. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
perfect song choice
can’t go wrong with iron and wine!
Woahh
I love being on substack because I get to see people take unbridled literary risks / experimental choices. I will definitely reread this because there's a lot I didn't fully break down on the first read. constantly inspired by your posts!!!!
aww thanks so much molly :)
For what its worth — you call it an experiment, but it doesn’t feel tentative or loose the way those things can. It feels very much like your unique voice in a context that really showcases your ideas and truth-like objects. The more I read it, the better it gets.
I appreciate that. It was an experiment for me at least…trying to impart a picture of a relationship in this format. The format certainly has been done many times over
The 0 to 10,585 is gut wrenching tragedy. And again from 0 to 1 (almost worse). Agreed with all comments here that you’ve made the English language your bitch and I bow to your mastery!!!
lol this story made me it’s bitch for a long ass time but I’m glad you think the tables have turned 😂
This is one of the most intriguing ideas I’ve seen in a while — you killed it too. A paint by the numbers story where the numbers are given story meaning ???¿¿ You are (to quote my favorite Bible verse) “a wild ass of a man”
Thanks Keith! It was a fun but brain wrecking challenge trying to get this thing to come together. Means a lot to hear it landed
This format goes crazy. Very cool, Will!
Thanks so much
Will, this is an excellent, torturous (for the characters) and challenging for the reader, but well worth it. I instantly wanted to get out my drawing tools, assign numbers to colors and produce a Venus Paradise masterpiece, but that's not what you're writing about.
It's terrible to think of anyone who can't be their true selves in our world. You are who you are; no one chooses. Bravo!
Thanks so much Sandy. Indeed, we are who we are. Re: drawing, I was going for a paint by numbers vibe but I’m not sure the picture would be very happy haha
No, I don't think it would be either. At one point, I thought the two figures might be kissing, which was happier, but it actually doesn't look like that. You are very creative and imaginative. The paint by number picture can be seen as a metaphor for how much we depend on others to define us.
Indeed..that's what I like about that image, it looks like on is turning towards the other but it also looks like one is trying to escape
Im not sure what the numbers mean but there is a narrative arc for sure in the days in the closet numbers that gather to a lover asking their partner about coming out of the closet, the lover hesitating, before saying they are not coming out of the closet. So that's in three of the numbers. I think the other numbers are important numbers to the narrator that go through his head while he thinks of his answer and those numbers are connected to emotions that are essential to the question at hand. Funny, alive but trapped prose style. The content matched the form. Good shit.
Thanks, Andrew! You're right about the arc and the "days in the closet" numbers. I was attempting to do a "paint by numbers" type of thing where the narrator presents numbers central to their relationship. They are presented out of order and sometimes the narrator does this "also..." thing where he makes connections between the numbers. Thanks for the feedback, had no idea how this one would play out lol but it was fun as hell to write