tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465368768809741489.post4936684920373111219..comments2024-03-20T10:51:02.802-05:00Comments on Postcards From Mercyland: The RuntPhil Madeirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09541966641322415672noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465368768809741489.post-15108899000319878362014-01-02T16:06:50.081-06:002014-01-02T16:06:50.081-06:00Theresa, thanks for these insights and for your pe...Theresa, thanks for these insights and for your personal take on the story. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks also for reading God On The Rocks! Tell your friends, and please leave a review on Amazon!<br />Happy New Year<br />pax<br />pmPhil Madeirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09541966641322415672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465368768809741489.post-31727124528699345402013-12-27T11:05:36.713-06:002013-12-27T11:05:36.713-06:00I find the story interesting coming from the mothe...I find the story interesting coming from the mother. She is not a part of this story about two brothers, not really, even though she is the messenger who brought them into this life. I suppose it's suiting she should be the messenger to tell their story. <br /><br />I find the characters to be realistic. My daddy was the runt of his family, but he was a fighter, and he and the next oldest brother in the family were always cleaning up after the baby of the family picked fights and left it to his siblings to finish up. You brought me into the story there, and I felt a connection.<br /><br />And the turning point in the story, the part in which Amos steps in front of the bus, is a shocker for the reader, but, to me, it is NOT a shocker for his character. I study people constantly. (I am a writer too.) And music is my passion, my fire, and I am intrigued by musicians, their egos, their passions, their impulses. Yeah, I can see Amos doing this. Believe it or not, I felt as though I was right there in the car with them during a heated argument, a typical heated argument.<br /><br />And, boom, it was over.<br /><br />And I can see Gideon doing exactly what he does, going back to mediocrity because he was living off of this thing Amos possessed. I have known many Gideons in my lifetime. <br /><br />I don't think I've given you much constructive feedback here. :-) <br /><br />While I wish I had spent my life playing music or living in the music world, I have lived my life as a teacher, now teaching high school/college freshman English. So if I were to ask my students and myself what the "so what" of this story is, I probably would come up with this answer:<br /><br />Some people have this "thing" within them that makes them create, a "fire in the belly," poet Maggie Vaughn once told me. And this fire pushes the person who carries it; sometimes it even consumes the person. Many people are warmed by this fire, and once it goes out these watchers may possess the kindling, but they don't know how to make the sparks for themselves. Unless people have this fire, they won't REALLY feel it or understand it. <br /><br />What else could the mother do? If Amos didn't possess this fire, then none of this story would have existed. And when the fire went out, so did the story. <br /><br />The mother didn't understand the fire. Gideon didn't understand the fire. And Amos felt it, but, like others before him, he probably was overwhelmed with how this fire was warming everybody else, could even be used to manipulate everybody else, but he was just a holder.<br /><br />Cool story. :-)<br /><br />BTW, I read God on the Rocks and savored every part of it. I picked up the book because in the 90s I was a freelance writer and I had a chance to interview you. When I saw your name, I said, "I gotta have this book." Your words were good medicine, just like your music. Thank you.<br />Gypsyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10119343020457037107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465368768809741489.post-6902630735520115322013-11-27T01:15:43.321-06:002013-11-27T01:15:43.321-06:00Thanks Larry. Yes, it's always a bit strange ...Thanks Larry. Yes, it's always a bit strange when we encounter a parent who's given up on their kids. Thanks for sharing your emotions regarding this piece. If you haven't already, please check out my book "God On The Rocks: Distilling Religion, Savoring Faith" from Jericho Books.<br />All the best<br />pax<br />pmPhil Madeirahttp://www.philmadeira.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465368768809741489.post-48839220475777403652013-11-19T22:14:34.053-06:002013-11-19T22:14:34.053-06:00There are a lot of surprises in here - plenty of e...There are a lot of surprises in here - plenty of emotions for me. But the twists and turns are what make it interesting. The ending was a bit of a stunner and I was kind of upset about the mother's attitude towards her kids! So it kept me engaged all the way through. Well done.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17071052280044702875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465368768809741489.post-24164547891870861902013-11-12T16:30:13.132-06:002013-11-12T16:30:13.132-06:00Thanks Duane... not worried about whether the lite...Thanks Duane... not worried about whether the literary references are connected, but delighted that you can see them!<br />pax<br />pmPhil Madeirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09541966641322415672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465368768809741489.post-74485886085705527642013-11-05T15:38:06.144-06:002013-11-05T15:38:06.144-06:00Great idea to write in the voice of the mother. On...Great idea to write in the voice of the mother. One thought - will a general reading population get the veiled references to both scripture, hymns and practices of which they may be unaware? Apart from that thought, this is a good piece of writing.<br /><br />DuaneAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16873150547426858558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465368768809741489.post-64371472591639973512013-10-17T13:51:39.182-05:002013-10-17T13:51:39.182-05:00Thanks Elizabeth!
Pax
u.p.Thanks Elizabeth! <br />Pax <br />u.p.Phil Madeirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09541966641322415672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465368768809741489.post-55476285866063539152013-10-17T13:42:00.115-05:002013-10-17T13:42:00.115-05:00I was confused at first until I realized it was fi...I was confused at first until I realized it was fiction. I like it! You're a wonderful writer who paints such a vidid picture! Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04908273745899230162noreply@blogger.com