New short story
The following is an alternative to writing a final essay for my humanities class, Readings in World Literature. It's meant to be a comment on Flannery O'Connor's Everything That Rises Must Converge. Tell me what you think; it's been a long time since I've shared creative writing with you guys.
By the way, this was the most emotionally harrowing writing experience I've ever had. You'll understand why when you read it ... I'm glad to be done now :)
One Way to be Happy is to Never Look in a Mirror
On the way to the wake Leo asked Anne what to expect.
"Drama," she said after thinking a minute. It seemed the only certainty for the afternoon.
"That doesn't seem very appropriate for a wake."
"You're assuming that my family possesses diplomacy or any sort of innate sense of social decency. We can ruin family functions with bad behavior better than any other set of people I've ever witnessed. My dad's side of the family, at least. We have the uncanny ability to love each other fiercely and hate each other passionately all at once."
"I see. Are you all melodramatic, too?"
"Yes," she said. "That's the one thing that we all are." She was silent for the first time that morning.
"Are you nervous about seeing your father? What's he like?"
"He's old-fashioned and stubborn and loud and boisterous and emotional and he loves to tell stories. And he gestures when he speaks."
"Just like you."
"No, not just like me. I'm not like him," she said unhappily, sinking into her seat. Her frown deepened and she turned her head to look out the window.
"Come now, Annemarie. None of that," he said, leaning over to kiss her neck. "I'm sure they're not as bad as all that."
"I suppose."
"Why don't you get along?"
"It started when my father brought my mother home to his parents." She straightened up to tell her story, brightening a little. Leo smiled. "You have to understand; his parents worshipped him. I mean, they loved my aunts and all, but my dad
By the way, this was the most emotionally harrowing writing experience I've ever had. You'll understand why when you read it ... I'm glad to be done now :)
One Way to be Happy is to Never Look in a Mirror
On the way to the wake Leo asked Anne what to expect.
"Drama," she said after thinking a minute. It seemed the only certainty for the afternoon.
"That doesn't seem very appropriate for a wake."
"You're assuming that my family possesses diplomacy or any sort of innate sense of social decency. We can ruin family functions with bad behavior better than any other set of people I've ever witnessed. My dad's side of the family, at least. We have the uncanny ability to love each other fiercely and hate each other passionately all at once."
"I see. Are you all melodramatic, too?"
"Yes," she said. "That's the one thing that we all are." She was silent for the first time that morning.
"Are you nervous about seeing your father? What's he like?"
"He's old-fashioned and stubborn and loud and boisterous and emotional and he loves to tell stories. And he gestures when he speaks."
"Just like you."
"No, not just like me. I'm not like him," she said unhappily, sinking into her seat. Her frown deepened and she turned her head to look out the window.
"Come now, Annemarie. None of that," he said, leaning over to kiss her neck. "I'm sure they're not as bad as all that."
"I suppose."
"Why don't you get along?"
"It started when my father brought my mother home to his parents." She straightened up to tell her story, brightening a little. Leo smiled. "You have to understand; his parents worshipped him. I mean, they loved my aunts and all, but my dad