Back on February 9th I made a note in my journal:
I am working on my bear story, which grows more complex and then slims down again. I think that the gain/loss cycle is healthy for a story, though, even if it’s bad news for people.
Today my bear story (which in fact did end up quite slim) has been posted in Deep South Magazine, an online publication. It has actually been finished since August, but they have held onto it because it is set in November. If you have time, head over there and read “The Last Bear,” then let me know what you think.
Here’s an excerpt, a small taste of what can happen when a beloved member of a Southern community passes away:
Granddaddy Sloane’s refrigerator was full to bursting. The table and counters held all that they could. Extra tea, lemonade, orange juice, soft drinks, a carton of eggs, and a gallon of milk were stashed in two large coolers outside the back door. Apple, sweet potato, and pecan pies were stacked on top of the refrigerator. A pound cake, a chocolate pound cake, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, yeast rolls, cornbread, and a dozen doughnuts were in the living room.
Anything that could be frozen for later consumption went straight to the chest freezer in the laundry room, and we piled more food on top of the washer and dryer. Finally, Graham and Scott emptied four bags of ice into the bathtub, and now a flotilla of cream- and meringue-topped pies sailed on the surface. It made a pretty sight.
That’s just straight-up bragging. I am excessively proud of having written those cream pies into the bathtub.
(The photograph has nothing to do with the story, of course. But it is a nice memento of my early-November visit to Pilot Mountain.)
I read Cold Sassy Tree recently and this excerpt takes me back to that lovely experience.
I loved Cold Sassy Tree! I need to read it again–it’s been too long….
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