Skyler!!! That’s such an epic and visceral description of the Bonesick reading adventure ahhh THANK YOU!! And I’m loving the maniacal feeling you’re pickin up here! It’s difficult yet exhilarating to write a character that could be lovable and yet terrible thus needs to suffer through retribution! Such a blast!! I’m so stoked you’re with me!
Yes, yes, yes, yes! Absolute BANGER of a piece! Every time I read your writing, I feel like I'm right there--I can see everything so clearly! I was back in my hometown a few weeks ago. I experienced the same wasteland of deserted retail spots little-me used to beg to go to, so your descriptions of abandonment hit hard.
The phrase that stuck with me: "a bizarre feast for the senses that rendered one both nauseous and famished."
Hell yes!! Will, thank you!! Full transparency: your writing has fired my brain into a whole new gear. Your latest is yet another bump. So this post is secretly-now-NOT-so-secretly dedicated to you! Meanwhile, it definitely sounds like your hometown has got some haunts. All my childhood strip mall memories have been replaced by giant grocery stores!
What a mysterious journey into one of the many voids wrought upon us by late-stage capitalism! The pulse of the storytelling is sooooo good here, Katie.
“It was hard to tell if his arm trembled under the weight of its contents or the memories.” love this so much. Congrats on getting another piece out there! 💙
Whoa, that was amazing and very, very dark. That metaphor of the old man with no teeth was next level horror. Utterly gripping. I didn't realise that Gary was a place and not a person until I saw the photo with the state initials beside it. It's a common first name in the UK amongst my generation, so I automatically read it as a person.
The shaved head of the Barbie. What an image. If you ever find yourself on my little Scottish island, there's a derelict hotel in the main village that would inspire you I'm sure! I'll try and remember to take a photo and send it to you next time I'm passing.
Wow, Cams, thank you!! Like I said last time, I'm going to give Horror a go—at least dip a toe in a little bit, haha—so it's very reassuring to me that you found it dark and gripping! (Especially being such an avid reader yourself!) You made a great point about Gary. I referenced "Gary, Indiana" at the beginning of that footnote, but even a state doesn't mean much to my international pals! I adjusted to read "Gary, Indiana, here in the U.S." Thank you for that! And I would LOVE to see that old hotel in your neck of the woods! Please do take a photo if you remember! Chris went to Europe twice like twenty years ago, but he wasn't as into the night photography just yet. We'd love to return for a tour one day! There's SO much to explore and, at least historically, puts American's abandonment to shame, ha!!
There’s such a pull to hope Toby finds immediate comfort, but there’s also this…maniacal feeling of “yes, suffer…you did this…”
It’s such a contradicting feeling and I fkn love it.
Your writing has such a way of putting me in a chokehold and not letting me go until I recognize the very last period as the end of the piece.
So glad to have you back in my inbox! Cheering for you the whole way!
Skyler!!! That’s such an epic and visceral description of the Bonesick reading adventure ahhh THANK YOU!! And I’m loving the maniacal feeling you’re pickin up here! It’s difficult yet exhilarating to write a character that could be lovable and yet terrible thus needs to suffer through retribution! Such a blast!! I’m so stoked you’re with me!
Yes, yes, yes, yes! Absolute BANGER of a piece! Every time I read your writing, I feel like I'm right there--I can see everything so clearly! I was back in my hometown a few weeks ago. I experienced the same wasteland of deserted retail spots little-me used to beg to go to, so your descriptions of abandonment hit hard.
The phrase that stuck with me: "a bizarre feast for the senses that rendered one both nauseous and famished."
Hell yes!! Will, thank you!! Full transparency: your writing has fired my brain into a whole new gear. Your latest is yet another bump. So this post is secretly-now-NOT-so-secretly dedicated to you! Meanwhile, it definitely sounds like your hometown has got some haunts. All my childhood strip mall memories have been replaced by giant grocery stores!
I'm honored!
Indeed, there are many haunts--I suspect one of the next times I'm home they'll be a big ol' grocery store in their place.
Or there's always the go-to: Halloween megastore!
What a mysterious journey into one of the many voids wrought upon us by late-stage capitalism! The pulse of the storytelling is sooooo good here, Katie.
“It was hard to tell if his arm trembled under the weight of its contents or the memories.” love this so much. Congrats on getting another piece out there! 💙
Ooo the pulse!! Thanks Michael! And yes, I feel like the long shadow of end-stage capitalism is ever darker these days.
Whoa, that was amazing and very, very dark. That metaphor of the old man with no teeth was next level horror. Utterly gripping. I didn't realise that Gary was a place and not a person until I saw the photo with the state initials beside it. It's a common first name in the UK amongst my generation, so I automatically read it as a person.
The shaved head of the Barbie. What an image. If you ever find yourself on my little Scottish island, there's a derelict hotel in the main village that would inspire you I'm sure! I'll try and remember to take a photo and send it to you next time I'm passing.
Wow, Cams, thank you!! Like I said last time, I'm going to give Horror a go—at least dip a toe in a little bit, haha—so it's very reassuring to me that you found it dark and gripping! (Especially being such an avid reader yourself!) You made a great point about Gary. I referenced "Gary, Indiana" at the beginning of that footnote, but even a state doesn't mean much to my international pals! I adjusted to read "Gary, Indiana, here in the U.S." Thank you for that! And I would LOVE to see that old hotel in your neck of the woods! Please do take a photo if you remember! Chris went to Europe twice like twenty years ago, but he wasn't as into the night photography just yet. We'd love to return for a tour one day! There's SO much to explore and, at least historically, puts American's abandonment to shame, ha!!
Yay!
Whew!! 😅