Beautifully done, Kate. I love the dimension and warmth you brought to this piece working from a prompt probably didn't give you any big dramatic scene. No one died (directly), lost a child or divorced. It was a subtle transformation and you handled it with such thought and care.
Yes the prompt was quite abstract in some ways (I shan’t divulge in which!) and I enjoyed this. I tried to make something subtle but meaningful. Sometimes I find the more important parts of my life are these inner perspective shifts or observations rather than the BIG events. At the same time, I would love to know more about my mystery writer! But sometimes allowing imagination gives us more in the end -- we consider so many possibilities.
I loved the relationships in this story. You conveyed the security and trust between mother and daughter beautifully, and also the confidence of the two parents in each other. I utterly enjoy the company of this family. 💕
This was such artistry, weaving so many elements into a warm experiential quilt. More than I can name. It’s alone but not lonely. Sad but hopeful. Personal but universal. Domestic but worldly. Distant but near. Heartache but love. Questioning but answering. Childlike but mature. Need I say more. You speak volumes in layers. Your wonderful experience is now mine. Thanks for sharing a great deal of yourself. It felt like a conversation in a favorite coffee shop with a new friend. A conversation that lasted over days. The aroma of freshly ground coffee. Inhaled.
Thank you Rick ☺️ Appreciate this kind feedback. This story is part of a project from Ben Wakeman (you can see the link at the top). The short prompt came from another writer’s experience, then I reimagined it as a fiction. At the same time, I think any kind of writing shares ourselves as well!
You always write with all the senses, Kate. Right off the bat, we get sight, sounds, smell, and taste and touch follow suit. Writing will set you free.
We would never have said it so directly and we were highly competitive, but my best friend in elementary school was a Chinese girl. This recalled a lot of that. The speaking for her mother and becoming one is a special idea. Whole movies are made out of relationships like that and the surprise that she spoke English. A pleasure reading this and sensing the care that went into it.
This was both beautiful and heartbreaking. When Ethan asked her those questions and then walked away it broke my heart. We all know loneliness, but few of us can truly understand how isolated one can feel when loneliness is coupled with otherness. Finding her voice in letters to her mother was so beautiful, and how it unlocked deeper relationships with her mother and her father was very moving. I also wrote about someone who had immigrated to the States. It was a terrific challenge, and I think you wrote a beautiful story.
Thanks so much, Troy. I like that pairing - loneliness and otherness. There is the potential for joyful solitude once the otherness is embraced, I think, especially if also embraced by others.
Beautiful story, rendered with vivid detail and emotional honesty. The narrator is quite self-aware for a child, but it fits because she’s clearly bright and spends a lot of time with her own thoughts.
Very enjoyable, and very convincing. "In Hong Kong, one often first asks if you have eaten when you meet up."
It reminded me of a conversation I had with a lady whose parents were immigrants from Hong Kong. I'd just finished reading Sour Sweet by Timothy Mo. I asked the lady if her parents set up a Chinese takeaway when they came over, to which she replied, "Of course!", which really made me laugh!
What a shock to realize your mother speaks English after all that time pretending! Beautifully done, Kate, I was ready to sit down in that kitchen and eat some dumplings, then go out to the fort and draw pictures with crayons. 🖍️🖍️🖍️
Thanks so much, Troy! I’m with some crayons right now 😆
I had a friend in HK who had to do the opposite language trick. She was raised in Canada but with Cantonese speaking parents and was fluent. To land an English language teaching job jn HK local schools (NET teacher), she had to pretend she didn’t understand a word of Cantonese. She kept a straight face with kids’ jokes and colleague comments (about her!!) for many years. It both amuses me and haunts me.
Wonderful, Kate. Really warm and heartwarming, and so real. This one makes me quite curious as to the prompt, but at the same time I'm happy to be left with the magic of not knowing.
Beautifully done, Kate. I love the dimension and warmth you brought to this piece working from a prompt probably didn't give you any big dramatic scene. No one died (directly), lost a child or divorced. It was a subtle transformation and you handled it with such thought and care.
Thank you, Ben ☺️ Such a lovely comment!
Yes the prompt was quite abstract in some ways (I shan’t divulge in which!) and I enjoyed this. I tried to make something subtle but meaningful. Sometimes I find the more important parts of my life are these inner perspective shifts or observations rather than the BIG events. At the same time, I would love to know more about my mystery writer! But sometimes allowing imagination gives us more in the end -- we consider so many possibilities.
I loved the relationships in this story. You conveyed the security and trust between mother and daughter beautifully, and also the confidence of the two parents in each other. I utterly enjoy the company of this family. 💕
Thank you, Tara! That is a great comment. I really wanted to make this family feel nurturing despite their challenges.
Success! :-)
What a beautiful and absorbing read. Congratulations on a lovely piece, you really rose to the challenge! 💪💛
Reminded me I have my father's LP record of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's speeches: In the struggle for freedom and human dignity.
Thank you, Jules! How wonderful to have an MLK LP. Never thought of that. 🩵🤗
Don't forget how old I am! 😆💛
🙃 old or cool?
I aspire to both. 😊
Just fabulous, Kate! Such warmth and tenderness infused into every sentence. 💙
Thanks so much, Michael! I was hoping to create a bit of that Christmas spirit here. 🩵🩵
This was such artistry, weaving so many elements into a warm experiential quilt. More than I can name. It’s alone but not lonely. Sad but hopeful. Personal but universal. Domestic but worldly. Distant but near. Heartache but love. Questioning but answering. Childlike but mature. Need I say more. You speak volumes in layers. Your wonderful experience is now mine. Thanks for sharing a great deal of yourself. It felt like a conversation in a favorite coffee shop with a new friend. A conversation that lasted over days. The aroma of freshly ground coffee. Inhaled.
Thank you Rick ☺️ Appreciate this kind feedback. This story is part of a project from Ben Wakeman (you can see the link at the top). The short prompt came from another writer’s experience, then I reimagined it as a fiction. At the same time, I think any kind of writing shares ourselves as well!
Just beautiful! I teared up more than once and love this family you created with warmth and tenderness.
Thank you, Holly. Appreciate this this lovely comment so much!
You always write with all the senses, Kate. Right off the bat, we get sight, sounds, smell, and taste and touch follow suit. Writing will set you free.
Thanks Alexander! Yes that’s the message - and I see something like this in a few of the other stories.
Lovely! I missed this when it was first published. Catching up on your writing is so much fun. Beautifully written.
Thanks so much! This was a really cool project to participate in.
We would never have said it so directly and we were highly competitive, but my best friend in elementary school was a Chinese girl. This recalled a lot of that. The speaking for her mother and becoming one is a special idea. Whole movies are made out of relationships like that and the surprise that she spoke English. A pleasure reading this and sensing the care that went into it.
Thank you, Adam. What a dream to make this into a little film ☺️💙
This was both beautiful and heartbreaking. When Ethan asked her those questions and then walked away it broke my heart. We all know loneliness, but few of us can truly understand how isolated one can feel when loneliness is coupled with otherness. Finding her voice in letters to her mother was so beautiful, and how it unlocked deeper relationships with her mother and her father was very moving. I also wrote about someone who had immigrated to the States. It was a terrific challenge, and I think you wrote a beautiful story.
Thanks so much, Troy. I like that pairing - loneliness and otherness. There is the potential for joyful solitude once the otherness is embraced, I think, especially if also embraced by others.
Beautiful story, rendered with vivid detail and emotional honesty. The narrator is quite self-aware for a child, but it fits because she’s clearly bright and spends a lot of time with her own thoughts.
Thanks so much, Julie 💜
Very enjoyable, and very convincing. "In Hong Kong, one often first asks if you have eaten when you meet up."
It reminded me of a conversation I had with a lady whose parents were immigrants from Hong Kong. I'd just finished reading Sour Sweet by Timothy Mo. I asked the lady if her parents set up a Chinese takeaway when they came over, to which she replied, "Of course!", which really made me laugh!
That’s a great anecdote, Terry! Thanks for reading ☺️☺️
Lovely, wholesome, and genuine story, Kathleen! May 2024 be a wonderful year for you and your loved ones!
Thank you, Nadia! My best wishes for the new year 🌟 💫
🤗 🥰
happy new year!
🎉
What a shock to realize your mother speaks English after all that time pretending! Beautifully done, Kate, I was ready to sit down in that kitchen and eat some dumplings, then go out to the fort and draw pictures with crayons. 🖍️🖍️🖍️
Thanks so much, Troy! I’m with some crayons right now 😆
I had a friend in HK who had to do the opposite language trick. She was raised in Canada but with Cantonese speaking parents and was fluent. To land an English language teaching job jn HK local schools (NET teacher), she had to pretend she didn’t understand a word of Cantonese. She kept a straight face with kids’ jokes and colleague comments (about her!!) for many years. It both amuses me and haunts me.
Wonderful, Kate. Really warm and heartwarming, and so real. This one makes me quite curious as to the prompt, but at the same time I'm happy to be left with the magic of not knowing.
Thank you, Nathan. So happy to create that warmth here. The prompt I received just dances! Hopefully those pieces are somewhere in this story.