tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post4588814072848087289..comments2024-02-22T07:47:22.661-05:00Comments on The Bathroom Monologues: Bathroom Monologue: EngenderedJohn Wiswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-40593297032606146522012-11-18T11:32:08.004-05:002012-11-18T11:32:08.004-05:00Outstanding. This is how complex social issues sho...Outstanding. This is how complex social issues should be represented in fiction: not as social justice "after school specials", not as soapbox rants, nor even as tearful anecdotes, but as layered, nuanced dilemmas that cut through politics and bias to show us the messy, beautiful, inevitable truth.Max Cantorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00162681176688582120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-9554322865583982322012-11-13T07:20:32.801-05:002012-11-13T07:20:32.801-05:00I didn't even realised this WAS over the limit...I didn't even realised this WAS over the limit - it read just fine, like any shorter would have been to short change it. Wonderful stuff.Icy Sedgwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11501193571425442406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-9200051167501189602012-11-12T12:13:14.077-05:002012-11-12T12:13:14.077-05:00Beautiful stuff, John. I zipped through this at a ...Beautiful stuff, John. I zipped through this at a rate of knots - the word count never an issue.<br /><br />I assumed that Sky had a physical issue (rather than a psychological one), where not being of either sex had saved her from the disease which had taken so many others.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-63910778917960511142012-11-11T10:37:26.434-05:002012-11-11T10:37:26.434-05:00I didn't notice the length at all, John. Fanta...I didn't notice the length at all, John. Fantastically written. I don't know that I would have forgiven you a cliffhanger ending on this one, though. At least in as much as whether or not Sky got the medicine. That's how much I was wrapped up in her character. Incredibly well drawn piece.Aaronhttp://mgideon.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-73090000057489017992012-11-10T17:18:15.048-05:002012-11-10T17:18:15.048-05:00John, I had to stop reading midway to prepare myse...John, I had to stop reading midway to prepare myself to go through the emotions you've so brilliantly layered. This is one very well written story that hits deeply, and I had no problem with it being longer, given the fact I often overstep the limit of a flash. <br /><br />As Steve said when Sky says "Daddy" it's a very emotional moment, very real and pure. It made my heart skip a beat. Thank you for this story. Cindy Vaskovahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06747628778627025130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-71522555414108286302012-11-10T09:05:00.534-05:002012-11-10T09:05:00.534-05:00I think what threw me was he didn't know her g...I think what threw me was he didn't know her gender. Combined with the medical crisis, I thought maybe the gender physically changed as a result of the disease. <br /><br />Thanks for the explanation!Cat Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160039271069426174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-1293825535731768852012-11-10T03:18:30.540-05:002012-11-10T03:18:30.540-05:00"The things I do come off wrong sometimes.&qu..."The things I do come off wrong sometimes." That describes me quite well. <br /><br />Even though it wasn't from Sky's perspective I could feel the turmoil of emotions inside her. Very well done. Craig Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07176851401465801580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-52500119551699874892012-11-09T23:11:16.990-05:002012-11-09T23:11:16.990-05:00Just read your "spoiler" -- interesting,...Just read your "spoiler" -- interesting, I thought she was some sort of hermaphrodite who could change, um, let's say "plumbing" at will. Sort of like the people in The Left Hand of Darkness, but with more control. And that somehow this way of being was spreading to people, but was lethal to them but not Sky.<br /><br />What I found cool about this narrative is that even though it gives the back story about what the narrator knows, it's mostly about him admitting what he doesn't know.Katherine Hajerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08270232675026751342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-34055870418405540262012-11-09T22:47:59.589-05:002012-11-09T22:47:59.589-05:00The questions of gender, both for Sky and for her ...The questions of gender, both for Sky and for her adoptive father came through very clearly to me and was, I think, what created the tension for me.Elephant's Childhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06650565833097914052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-40497949006217521052012-11-09T22:16:59.015-05:002012-11-09T22:16:59.015-05:00A little funny that I demonstrated that patience w...A little funny that I demonstrated that patience when I hate kids, right? Thanks so much for the warm reception, Helen. Very glad to have evoked so much for you.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-71578812878412546402012-11-09T22:15:57.923-05:002012-11-09T22:15:57.923-05:00Thanks, Tim!Thanks, Tim!John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-18002212146097574872012-11-09T22:15:43.996-05:002012-11-09T22:15:43.996-05:00As a non-father who is likely to never become a pa...As a non-father who is likely to never become a parent, even I wonder how I would handle the things that conflict and hurt children. I can only hope I'd come from as well-meaning a place, though more successfully executed. I think these anxieties are in most of us.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-25752892694625721182012-11-09T22:14:06.842-05:002012-11-09T22:14:06.842-05:00Couldn't ask for a better reaction to the '...Couldn't ask for a better reaction to the 'Daddy' line than that. Thank you very much, Steve!John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-49202611043311835032012-11-09T22:11:31.052-05:002012-11-09T22:11:31.052-05:00Thanks Sonia! Any particular emotions it stirred?Thanks Sonia! Any particular emotions it stirred?John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-67333797032554512342012-11-09T22:11:15.029-05:002012-11-09T22:11:15.029-05:00So, possible spoilers here.
I wondered how that e...So, possible spoilers here.<br /><br />I wondered how that element would land for people, and if I did a questionable enough job that you couldn't tell, I'm tempted to let you decide and make that a personal canon. If anyone else sees this comment, I'd recommend skipping it if you don't want to ambiguity spoiled.<br /><br />But if you want where I was writing from - Sky is a gender-questioning child. Some times she associates female, sometimes male, sometimes non-gender. She has a biological sex, but her adopted father doesn't know what it is - Sky has only shared it with her adopted mother. It's part of the awkwardness (or a result of the awkwardness) between parent and child in this relationship.<br /><br />Sorry that didn't come through as clearer. Perhaps another hundred words or digression would have made it explicit?John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-68963395030661721752012-11-09T22:06:13.072-05:002012-11-09T22:06:13.072-05:00John this was excellent, you intertwined various d...John this was excellent, you intertwined various depths of emotion. You sparked the readers curiosity as to what this disease might be. But most of all you showed the element of patience a parent has for their child and the how that patiences is rewarded. Very nice. well done!Helen A. Howellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12748128819820230841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-33519343482186756122012-11-09T21:50:14.009-05:002012-11-09T21:50:14.009-05:00You captured my attention with the character, what...You captured my attention with the character, what was wrong. At first I suspected some sort of zombie virus. I'm interested, but I confess that I'm not really sure what's happening in this story. Can she/he change her/his sex?Cat Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160039271069426174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-81051221915424194432012-11-09T21:07:54.190-05:002012-11-09T21:07:54.190-05:00Very powerful, John. This one hit me very hard in ...Very powerful, John. This one hit me very hard in relation to a lot of my own paranoia about how I'd handle any number of parental situations I sometimes imagine, some more serious than others. Excellent piece.liminalfictionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08762010680878316253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-77773130718195399252012-11-09T18:20:24.529-05:002012-11-09T18:20:24.529-05:00I didn't notice any extra words. Perfect! So m...I didn't notice any extra words. Perfect! So many emotions. Sonia Lalhttp://storytreasury.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-16825165973897064872012-11-09T15:41:14.528-05:002012-11-09T15:41:14.528-05:00I didn't notice the extra length at all. Nicel...I didn't notice the extra length at all. Nicely done.Tim VanSant Writeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17614259042362664840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-46615513982098133012012-11-09T15:26:48.401-05:002012-11-09T15:26:48.401-05:00John, I was riveted reading this, and was amazed t...John, I was riveted reading this, and was amazed to find that it ran to over 1300 words, The moment where she calls him "Daddy" brought a tear to my eye.<br /><br />A very emotional, and very well written piece.Steve Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18414279461366098783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-13607373142560267422012-11-09T15:20:23.619-05:002012-11-09T15:20:23.619-05:00I could definitely use a few more such acceptances...I could definitely use a few more such acceptances in my life, but then, who couldn't? Thank you for the kind words, Alison. So glad it engaged. Did anything in particular strike you as imaginative?John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-54532758694001168972012-11-09T15:17:18.432-05:002012-11-09T15:17:18.432-05:00Definitely part of what I was aiming for. I was wo...Definitely part of what I was aiming for. I was worried there might have been too many moving parts in this, and I'd just gone blind to what really functioned. So it all clicked for you, Larry?John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-73426098322036093642012-11-09T15:14:19.961-05:002012-11-09T15:14:19.961-05:00And thank you for voting on Twitter to keep it thi...And thank you for voting on Twitter to keep it this way. I'm relieved it seems to have worked out!John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-42478798823132731852012-11-09T15:12:27.701-05:002012-11-09T15:12:27.701-05:00What a wonderful first reaction to get to this. Th...What a wonderful first reaction to get to this. Thank you very much.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.com