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Nosiness is a professional hazard for writers. Sometimes I
have to ask. You, of course, don't have to answer. Maybe
there isn't an answer. Maybe there's a glimmer of an answer.
Maybe one of you might be so intrigued by my nosy question that
you'll be the one to find the answer years after I'm gone....
Most of these questions will be idle curiosity rather than
something I'm trying to track down for a specific story I'm writing,
so I can't promise you a dedication or even an acknowledgement
for answering or for pointing me toward an answer. On the other
hand, all writers thrive on input, so if your answer
or your interesting comment or counter-question inspires me to
a story, I'll tip one of my eccentric hats in your direction
when next I can.
Oh, and (if you say it's okay) I'll post the answers I get
here. Who knows? You might inspire some other writer to commit
story as well!
*
04 Feb 05: "The
Man with the Sign" by Sheldon Harnick
Sheldon Harnick was once commissioned to write a lyric to
John Philip Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever."
He wrote "The Man with the Sign" which was the single
best anthem to free speech I have ever heard. As I remember the
narration, this proved too radical for the folks who'd commissioned
it, so it was never sung until this PBS show....
Wow! Got
an answer!
04 Feb 05: Is
there an ornithologist in the house?
A wide variety of birds steal from the catfood plates I put
out on the back porch. The bluejays land on the porch and both
feet off the ground at the same time---hop, hop, hop---to the
plate. The starlings, though, land on the porch and strut---left
foot, right foot, left foot, right foot---to the plate... Wow! Got an answer!
Got an answer for
me?
If my name were
Tocohl Susumo, you could e-mail me at tocohl@tocohlsusumo.com
Oh, and my name
is Janet Kagan. |