19 Comments
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Carole Roseland's avatar

Ha, Yersinia, what a great name—the same as the bacterium that causes bubonic plague 😬. I enjoyed this immensely, Jaap. Free association combined with stories of wrong place, wrong time and geography! Thanks.

Jaap Stijl's avatar

Thank you, Carole. Well spotted on Yersinia! Glad you enjoyed it!

Kelly Trost's avatar

Hello Adrienne,

how extraordinarily unique and creative is your piece. To write something so innovative in our age is a challenge and I commend you for doing so. Not to mention that it was riveting and superbly written. I so enjoyed it!

Jaap Stijl's avatar

Thank you, Kelly.

Kelly Trost's avatar

You’re welcome, Adrien. Have a wonderful night.

Pia Vivo's avatar

So good.

Jessie Laverton's avatar

I love how you make these two very different places overlap, whilst writing each one so vividly. And I love how you manage to write such gravity without a trace of melodrama. And the forests as silent witnesses, absorbing all this human nonsense, the same way they absorb the bodies.

Jaap Stijl's avatar

Thank you for reading and for your comments, Jessie! I tried to follow the logic rather than the feeling. I think melodrama happens when the writer leans in. I’d like to think that this stays level because the facts are already unbearable. You don't need to push them. And for me, the forests were the piece's spine from the start . Once Vidzgiris was in there, everything else had to answer to it. I think silence was the only honest witness to what humans do with their coordinates.

School of Blue's avatar

The smoking conceit is what did it for me. Superb.

Jaap Stijl's avatar

I think that’s exactly it. The smoke took over the whole emotional architecture of the piece while I was writing it.

Nomeo's avatar

Sublime et, franchement...manifique.

Jaap Stijl's avatar

Merci beaucoup. Ça me touche sincèrement.

MoTy's avatar

Jaap you set the table just right: Sauvignon, smokes, entanglement, footballer drama. Proper feast!

Jaap Stijl's avatar

It’s how the crazy people roll, Mo.

lchristopher's avatar

Belmondo face & John Waters moustache. What a perfect description. Tried restacking that quote, it was so good. My phone said no. Let's see what my standalone terminal has to say. Thanks so much for this, sir!

Jaap Stijl's avatar

Thanks, sir. The face arrived immediately. The moustache took years of suffering :)

lchristopher's avatar

Well said!

KR (Kenneth Rosen)'s avatar

Thiis is wonderful! The most exciting thing by you yet! What is it to be?

Jaap Stijl's avatar

Thank you Kenneth…the details are still being worked out