http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/ Listen to stories on anything from honeymoons to WWII, from award-winning journalists to first-time writers alike, from anywhere in the world. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:20:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-753 Tue, 05 Dec 2006 20:24:37 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-753 Bittersweet, evocative, and quite good. It reminds me of someone's definition of 'nostalgia' that I heard long ago: missing a time that never was. Thank you, writer, because now, even though I grew up in Chicago, I have lived a few moments as a child in small town North Dakota. Bittersweet, evocative, and quite good.
It reminds me of someone’s definition of ‘nostalgia’ that I heard long ago: missing a time that never was.
Thank you, writer, because now, even though I grew up in Chicago, I have lived a few moments as a child in small town North Dakota.

]]> http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-575 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 02:19:58 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-575 For those of us who grew up during the Cold War, were taught just how many roentgens of radiation it'd take to kill us after a nuclear strike and were routinely drilled to crouch beneath our desks in the event of a Soviet H-Bomb blast (and not to look at the light), everywhere was Floyd City. I myself grew up in the South and my own civics teacher at the time had a breakdown and left teaching when a 12-year-old student drowned at our class picnic. The teacher had dandruff and he was sad and anxious, even before my classmate's drowning, but then we all were. It was a damned depressing time and any kid with any sense ached to grow up and get the hell out of Dodge. Kessler has exquisitely evoked the low-level tension of an American small-town seventh-grade classroom circa 1962, when we all thought we might die soon but weren't at all sure that life was worth living. Gorgeous, scary, true and sweet. Bravo, Merle Kessler. For those of us who grew up during the Cold War, were taught just how many roentgens of radiation it’d take to kill us after a nuclear strike and were routinely drilled to crouch beneath our desks in the event of a Soviet H-Bomb blast (and not to look at the light), everywhere was Floyd City. I myself grew up in the South and my own civics teacher at the time had a breakdown and left teaching when a 12-year-old student drowned at our class picnic. The teacher had dandruff and he was sad and anxious, even before my classmate’s drowning, but then we all were. It was a damned depressing time and any kid with any sense ached to grow up and get the hell out of Dodge. Kessler has exquisitely evoked the low-level tension of an American small-town seventh-grade classroom circa 1962, when we all thought we might die soon but weren’t at all sure that life was worth living. Gorgeous, scary, true and sweet. Bravo, Merle Kessler.

]]> http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-501 Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:22:25 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-501 Although this story has dark undertones, it elicits thoughts for me of the movie "Pleasantville" and how the characters are taught not to think out of the box and their physical boundaries and that there is nothing outside of Pleasantville, so why venture beyond the comfort zone? Thanks for sharing. This was very well written. Although this story has dark undertones, it elicits thoughts for me of the movie “Pleasantville” and how the characters are taught not to think out of the box and their physical boundaries and that there is nothing outside of Pleasantville, so why venture beyond the comfort zone?
Thanks for sharing. This was very well written.

]]> http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-479 Mon, 20 Nov 2006 07:22:28 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-479 My favorite part of this fantastic story is the scene in the auditorium when the girl involuntarily reveals her identity by shrieking as the principal reads her private note to the other girl. My favorite part of this fantastic story is the scene in the auditorium when the girl involuntarily reveals her identity by shrieking as the principal reads her private note to the other girl.

]]> http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-478 Mon, 20 Nov 2006 05:44:56 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-478 Not so interesting, It has nothing that can really attract a reader. Not so interesting, It has nothing that can really attract a reader.

]]> http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-458 Sat, 18 Nov 2006 17:15:14 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/11/17/empty-tattoo/#comment-458 What a visual, bitter, and heartbreaking piece. What a place to leave behind. Here is a part of the real heartland without the amber waves of grain that politicians love to evoke, along with the alleged gentle past of small town and rural living. What a visual, bitter, and heartbreaking piece. What a place to leave behind. Here is a part of the real heartland without the amber waves of grain that politicians love to evoke, along with the alleged gentle past of small town and rural living.

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