Comments for Thomas Sullivan http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan Just another Storytellers Unplugged weblog Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:18:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM by Carole Lanham http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2012/01/15/thomas-sullivan-segami-rorrim/comment-page-1/#comment-2511 Carole Lanham Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:18:03 +0000 http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/?p=3420#comment-2511 It is sad about the spam. It makes me so angry every month but I guess there's little to be done about it. Glad I slipped in before you closed up shop for January. Another terrific month at Storytellers in the can. Thanks for following my reviews! It is sad about the spam. It makes me so angry every month but I guess there’s little to be done about it. Glad I slipped in before you closed up shop for January. Another terrific month at Storytellers in the can.

Thanks for following my reviews!

]]> Comment on Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM by Thomas Sullivan http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2012/01/15/thomas-sullivan-segami-rorrim/comment-page-1/#comment-2509 Thomas Sullivan Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:33:36 +0000 http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/?p=3420#comment-2509 You know I look forward to your comments whenever they arrive, Carole. I appreciate all responses, but there are a few of us who more or less sustain a conversation with monthly gaps, and that conversation dangles until the next reply. Our lives are too crazy, too busy, but the truth is that sometimes our sanity and certainly our personal satisfaction relies on those re-connections with those we know and share an understanding. As you also know, being an author who posts here, sometimes the thoughtless auto-generated spam comments that flood in every month in an attempt to get posted because it affects ad rates for people trying to prove connections, force us to close off comments before all the legitimate ones are in. That's a shame. One of those sad realities caused by selfish people who ruin a good thing for everyone and may eventually destroy free forums. So, I'm glad your comment got in before I had to shut the door. P.S. happy to see the great reviews for your new collection THE WHISPER JAR! You know I look forward to your comments whenever they arrive, Carole. I appreciate all responses, but there are a few of us who more or less sustain a conversation with monthly gaps, and that conversation dangles until the next reply. Our lives are too crazy, too busy, but the truth is that sometimes our sanity and certainly our personal satisfaction relies on those re-connections with those we know and share an understanding. As you also know, being an author who posts here, sometimes the thoughtless auto-generated spam comments that flood in every month in an attempt to get posted because it affects ad rates for people trying to prove connections, force us to close off comments before all the legitimate ones are in. That’s a shame. One of those sad realities caused by selfish people who ruin a good thing for everyone and may eventually destroy free forums. So, I’m glad your comment got in before I had to shut the door. P.S. happy to see the great reviews for your new collection THE WHISPER JAR!

]]> Comment on Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM by Carole Lanham http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2012/01/15/thomas-sullivan-segami-rorrim/comment-page-1/#comment-2508 Carole Lanham Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:47:06 +0000 http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/?p=3420#comment-2508 Well, I'm extremely late to the party but somebody has to keep it going. I'm afraid I don't have any reasons near as sad and horrible as Bob Jones' reasons for being tardy (does one day count as being late?), and thank goodness for that. Poor Bob! No, my reasons stem purely from my own rather selfish and wanton need to pamper myself with your words of wisdom each and every month. It's true! I absolutely refuse to be rushed through your newsletter when the 16th rolls around. To hurry and wolf it down when I haven't the proper time to absorb it would be like stuffing an entire piece of tiramisu in my mouth at once just so I can get to cleaning my toilets. This month's post is particularly worthy of luxuriating over since it's a topic near and dear to my own heart. I agree with every word you say here and I'm inspired by those words. I took a stab at reading this shortly after it went up and was having quite a lovely time of it when life interrupted. My window (rug?) of opportunity was being yanked out from under me and I could feel it happening, so I started reading faster and faster and then... I put my foot down. "I deserve to read this in peace," I said to me. Okay, so another week went by. But hurray! I settled into my desk chair today and sighed, "Today is the day." This article is teeming with good practical insight, as always. We've discussed this subject more than a few times, yet you always give me something new to think about. Please know that, whenever I'm slow at responding to your posts, its for reasons that are completely self-serving, piggish, and ornery, and not because I don't care :) Well, I’m extremely late to the party but somebody has to keep it going. I’m afraid I don’t have any reasons near as sad and horrible as Bob Jones’ reasons for being tardy (does one day count as being late?), and thank goodness for that. Poor Bob! No, my reasons stem purely from my own rather selfish and wanton need to pamper myself with your words of wisdom each and every month. It’s true! I absolutely refuse to be rushed through your newsletter when the 16th rolls around. To hurry and wolf it down when I haven’t the proper time to absorb it would be like stuffing an entire piece of tiramisu in my mouth at once just so I can get to cleaning my toilets. This month’s post is particularly worthy of luxuriating over since it’s a topic near and dear to my own heart. I agree with every word you say here and I’m inspired by those words.

I took a stab at reading this shortly after it went up and was having quite a lovely time of it when life interrupted. My window (rug?) of opportunity was being yanked out from under me and I could feel it happening, so I started reading faster and faster and then… I put my foot down. “I deserve to read this in peace,” I said to me.

Okay, so another week went by. But hurray! I settled into my desk chair today and sighed, “Today is the day.”

This article is teeming with good practical insight, as always. We’ve discussed this subject more than a few times, yet you always give me something new to think about. Please know that, whenever I’m slow at responding to your posts, its for reasons that are completely self-serving, piggish, and ornery, and not because I don’t care :)

]]> Comment on Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM by Thomas Sullivan http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2012/01/15/thomas-sullivan-segami-rorrim/comment-page-1/#comment-2501 Thomas Sullivan Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:51:09 +0000 http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/?p=3420#comment-2501 Man overboard! I am sorely dismayed. Hope the damage can be remedied. Nothing more calamitous to a writer than to have one's words in soluble ink meet the Great Flood of end times. … And thank you in the "wake" of that for taking the time for your always eagerly anticipated remarks, Amalgam. I'll take you up on that snow offer. Have now put in something between 600-700 K skiing on the gerbil wheel of man-made stuff. … Reverse psychology people are a bit of a cliché, and they wear thin quickly in real life, but in fiction you can dress them up a bit. One of the few examples where made-up characters need to be deeper than their sponsoring role models. … And Huck Finn awaits your return! Man overboard! I am sorely dismayed. Hope the damage can be remedied. Nothing more calamitous to a writer than to have one’s words in soluble ink meet the Great Flood of end times. … And thank you in the “wake” of that for taking the time for your always eagerly anticipated remarks, Amalgam. I’ll take you up on that snow offer. Have now put in something between 600-700 K skiing on the gerbil wheel of man-made stuff. … Reverse psychology people are a bit of a cliché, and they wear thin quickly in real life, but in fiction you can dress them up a bit. One of the few examples where made-up characters need to be deeper than their sponsoring role models. … And Huck Finn awaits your return!

]]> Comment on Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM by Robert Jones http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2012/01/15/thomas-sullivan-segami-rorrim/comment-page-1/#comment-2500 Robert Jones Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:34:15 +0000 http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/?p=3420#comment-2500 In re my late reply, imagine awakening yesterday to the sound of rapidly running water. Imagine sequentially discovering a flood of water eroding plaster and destroying books, financial records, etc on top, middle and bottom house levels. Imagine trying to stop the flow of water from an offending toilet on the top floor. Imagine chasing after the water as it cascaded down through floors and ceilings. Imagine mopping up the water settled on three levels and moving sopping, important files and stacks and trying to wring them out. Finally, imagine a crew of workers sawing, chiseling, carrying materials in and out, hammering, shouting, playing music, etc. for several days. It will take some time for me to get used to the silence following their recent departure. Now, moving toward a much more pleasant topic.... In re your latest newsletter, I can't imagine Minnesota without sufficient snow. Feel free to borrow ours. I think I'm missing the same gene as yours. I savor natural surroundings having no human-sourced sounds. I didn't enjoy cc skiing as much on trails in use by others, but it never matched having a trail to one's self. What I really disliked was a trail whose snow had been molested by snowshoers. In re your unplug, in the book titled Mr. Roberts, Ensign Pulver wrote in the margin of the book, God's Little Acre, the words, DAMN WELL WRITTEN. After printing and reading your unplug, I wrote in the margin the words, DAMN GOOD ADVICE. I regret that, when I read Huck Finn, I was too young to catch the message that the world has it backwards. Your reference to certain characters as catalyst characters is a real hand-in-glove fit. Thank you for the great thoughts to ponder. Amalgam In re my late reply, imagine awakening yesterday to the sound of rapidly running water. Imagine sequentially discovering a flood of water eroding plaster and destroying books, financial records, etc on top, middle and bottom house levels. Imagine trying to stop the flow of water from an offending toilet on the top floor. Imagine chasing after the water as it cascaded down through floors and ceilings. Imagine mopping up the water settled on three levels and moving sopping, important files and stacks and trying to wring them out. Finally, imagine a crew of workers sawing, chiseling, carrying materials in and out, hammering, shouting, playing music, etc. for several days. It will take some time for me to get used to the silence following their recent departure. Now, moving toward a much more pleasant topic….

In re your latest newsletter, I can’t imagine Minnesota without sufficient snow. Feel free to borrow ours.
I think I’m missing the same gene as yours. I savor natural surroundings having no human-sourced sounds. I didn’t enjoy cc skiing as much on trails in use by others, but it never matched having a trail to one’s self. What I really disliked was a trail whose snow had been molested by snowshoers.

In re your unplug, in the book titled Mr. Roberts, Ensign Pulver wrote in the margin of the book, God’s Little Acre, the words, DAMN WELL WRITTEN. After printing and reading your unplug, I wrote in the margin the words, DAMN GOOD ADVICE.

I regret that, when I read Huck Finn, I was too young to catch the message that the world has it backwards.

Your reference to certain characters as catalyst characters is a real hand-in-glove fit.

Thank you for the great thoughts to ponder.

Amalgam

]]> Comment on Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM by Thomas Sullivan http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2012/01/15/thomas-sullivan-segami-rorrim/comment-page-1/#comment-2498 Thomas Sullivan Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:28:01 +0000 http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/?p=3420#comment-2498 True enough about the pseudo holidays. More pain than gain...by implication or comparison. True enough about the pseudo holidays. More pain than gain…by implication or comparison.

]]> Comment on Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM by Teri Jo Stricker http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2012/01/15/thomas-sullivan-segami-rorrim/comment-page-1/#comment-2497 Teri Jo Stricker Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:50:26 +0000 http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/?p=3420#comment-2497 You are very kind. I actually have some tea made tonight so perhaps my singing will have a little less GROWL to it. I live like nobody's looking, because, really, nobody is. Well except I don't spit or pee in the street, that would be wrong on so many levels it isn't funny! However, there are a lot of holidays I don't celebrate, because I try to be loving and all that every day to the folks around me. You know, Valentine's Day, Sweetest Day, Secretary's Day . . . Give your secretary flowers for NO REASON. Or your significant other. There's no need to wait for a day to show folks they are appreciated. Ooops I went off on a tack didn't I? Ah well. You are very kind. I actually have some tea made tonight so perhaps my singing will have a little less GROWL to it.

I live like nobody’s looking, because, really, nobody is. Well except I don’t spit or pee in the street, that would be wrong on so many levels it isn’t funny!

However, there are a lot of holidays I don’t celebrate, because I try to be loving and all that every day to the folks around me. You know, Valentine’s Day, Sweetest Day, Secretary’s Day . . . Give your secretary flowers for NO REASON. Or your significant other. There’s no need to wait for a day to show folks they are appreciated.

Ooops I went off on a tack didn’t I? Ah well.

]]> Comment on Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM by Thomas Sullivan http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2012/01/15/thomas-sullivan-segami-rorrim/comment-page-1/#comment-2496 Thomas Sullivan Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:37:24 +0000 http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/?p=3420#comment-2496 Very much appreciate your sharing that, Dorie. I have no doubt there was a metaphysical cause, a will, of consciousness – something sourced from the connection between you and your husband, obviously directed, meaningful and full of love. Kind of reminds me of something I have on my refrigerator that Cindy Frey (wife of Eagle Glenn Frey) sent me: "Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching…” Cindy was a professional dancer with major credits, including being a featured dancer on Dance Fever, and I summon that image of her dancing alone sometimes when I feel separated from human companionship and need to celebrate life. Very much appreciate your sharing that, Dorie. I have no doubt there was a metaphysical cause, a will, of consciousness – something sourced from the connection between you and your husband, obviously directed, meaningful and full of love. Kind of reminds me of something I have on my refrigerator that Cindy Frey (wife of Eagle Glenn Frey) sent me: “Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody’s watching…” Cindy was a professional dancer with major credits, including being a featured dancer on Dance Fever, and I summon that image of her dancing alone sometimes when I feel separated from human companionship and need to celebrate life.

]]> Comment on Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM by DorieFurman http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2012/01/15/thomas-sullivan-segami-rorrim/comment-page-1/#comment-2495 DorieFurman Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:25:16 +0000 http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/?p=3420#comment-2495 <a href="#comment-2486" rel="nofollow">@Thomas Sullivan </a> Sully, your comment about my comment reminded me of something a little voice in my head told me long ago. After my husband died suddenly, in the prime of life, unexpectedly, I went through all the mechanics of living, but still felt paralyzed for a long time. My husband loved music; it was part of his soul. One day, I was standing at his grave and these words just came to me: (and I know they came from him): "Sometimes you have to start dancing without the music." @Thomas Sullivan
Sully, your comment about my comment reminded me of something a little voice in my head told me long ago. After my husband died suddenly, in the prime of life, unexpectedly, I went through all the mechanics of living, but still felt paralyzed for a long time. My husband loved music; it was part of his soul. One day, I was standing at his grave and these words just came to me:
(and I know they came from him): “Sometimes you have to start dancing without the music.”

]]> Comment on Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM by Thomas Sullivan http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/2012/01/15/thomas-sullivan-segami-rorrim/comment-page-1/#comment-2494 Thomas Sullivan Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:59:30 +0000 http://storytellersunplugged.com/thomassullivan/?p=3420#comment-2494 Yeah, Brian. "Those who erupt…” I like that handle for a character category name. Unlimited possibilities. Noir exploits it deliciously, dramatically, like an insidious secret. But I think it lends itself to any anchor tone – poignancy of loss or despair, the frustration of injustice, retreating into protective insanity. Anything really that the truth reveals slowly through cues and omens as with a secret revealed. And humor, I suppose. I wouldn't have added that but for your most amusing take vis-à-vis Tokyo Tolkien. Yeah, Brian. “Those who erupt…” I like that handle for a character category name. Unlimited possibilities. Noir exploits it deliciously, dramatically, like an insidious secret. But I think it lends itself to any anchor tone – poignancy of loss or despair, the frustration of injustice, retreating into protective insanity. Anything really that the truth reveals slowly through cues and omens as with a secret revealed. And humor, I suppose. I wouldn’t have added that but for your most amusing take vis-à-vis Tokyo Tolkien.

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