Simon worked hard. Work was his entire life. He loved it, was good at it, was widely respected. He did not mind he had no partner, no family. What he did mind was being asleep. He could not work while asleep. He lost time–and resented that. As he aged, his body asked for more sleep […]
Author: Victor
Emily Dickinson Hated Submitting
Emily Dickinson hated submitting. It was demeaning, ill fitting. She wrote for herself and felt no need for her work to be judged by others. But. By her sixties she had many poems sitting unknown on her shelves and now believed people should read them. She had to get her work published. Yet Emily Dickinson […]
Randall Stephan Hall
Today’s guest is the musician, artist and fellow of many skills Randall Stephen Hall, calling in from Ireland. You’ll hear him sing live, plus we play a recording of Beauty From Belfast. Stories and poetry from Ariadne, Randall, Sharon Rowe, Kelly Montgomery and Victor Schwartzman. Fascinating show, great listening!
Talking in the Family Room
They were waiting for answersI hate these family meetingsI’m okay if I don’t start before noon eye drops andmouthwash keep my secret I feel normal until I standsneak drinks when she’s shoppingI worry about getting caughtbut not enough to stop We looked at his glazed eyeswhere did we go wronghe seemed on track in schoolthen […]
What Should I Tell My Daughter?
I have a daughter of two—just reaching out to people. What should I tell her about relationships? About how to be with people? What might she tell me as an adult? I needed to know, so being an experienced astroelectrician, I designed and built a time machine (in my basement, near the pool table.) One […]
Lust, on Mars – Chapter 1
Lust, on Mars – Chapter 5 – Mars and Me
While George struggled with his situation, at the front desk of the Clinic Shallot and her two besties dropped off the rest of Alice’s chocolate. Alice had died before she could eat the rest. The woman smiled pleasantly, took the chocolate and told them George would get it. Then it was quiet. “I want to […]
The Any Year Daily Calendar
Lust, on Mars – Chapter 6 – Lust and Lost, on Mars
So many felt unsettled. Something was wrong and thinking it was right was almost a crime. By that evening there were few people out, many staying home to play the game. Even colonists who never played computer games tried it—everyone said that, for the first time, the game was totally realistic about their lives. Sally […]
Lust, on Mars – Chapter 4 – What is Inside You
Earlier that morning, George left Shallot’s home willingly with the medics. It would be embarrassing and futile doing anything else—he would have preferred running, buying himself some time. Instead, he complied—he would be hunted–and quietly rode in the van to the Clinic. At the front desk he filled out a questionnaire, had blood taken, was […]
Lust, on Mars – Chapter 3 – Life Under the Dome
Shallot had never worn a protection suit. The suit felt thin, light, protecting against the cold and Martian air. Suits for underground use were far less bulky than those worn outside the dome—no solar radiation to deal with, no searing winds. Sealed into the suit, she breathed, cautiously at first, bottled air. It smelled and […]
Lust, on Mars – Chapter 2 – The Mayor of Mars
In the Mayor’s office there was no room for wavering about life or feeling alone. There was only reality. Which occasionally included wavering about life and feeling alone. Responsible, isolated. Madeline leaned back in the plush chair, kicked off her heels and grunted, tired. Her leg ached, arthritis, but she refused to use her cane […]
Lust, on Mars – Chapter 1 – Lust, on Mars
Below them her bed, above them the dome, sealing in the colony from the reality of Mars. Completed in 2225, today–a hundred years later—still the sole colony. The reality of Mars intervened in plans for the future. By now the clear dome had eroded to a light orange/brown, matching the endless barren landscape outside. Cracks […]