A Gumbo of words…grab a spoon; have a taste...savor the complexities

Throw in some multi-instrumental music of New Orleans; add some southern blues and regional country lament, a dash of urban hip hop and rap, a teaspoon of head-banging rock complemented by the nuances of jazz as it moved across the US and the world, not to be outdone by the chords and phrases of orchestral music, and top it off with a cup of some old-school nuances, and you may get a sense of what comprises a master of words, themes, and storytelling.

Frank A. Gladden (photo provided)

Frank A. Gladden is that unique mix of soul and reverie, spices and flavors, conflicting emotions….he is a literary gumbo, a master of his craft, a unique and favorable blend of remembrances and hints of unrealized times to come.   Here is a glimpse from his story, “Things You Carry” from the forthcoming spring 2016 issue of aaduna:

                One day when Caleb was on his way to the deli, he attempted to make his way through a construction site where part of the narrow sidewalk was being replaced. He fell and struck his head on a piece of concrete. He floundered around on the ground with blood streaming from a large gash on his head before he was able to pull himself up with the aid of a street sign. He made his way home and went into the bathroom.

            “What happened Pop, somebody jump you?” Jacob asked hurrying in the bathroom.  He wetted a face cloth and tried to wipe the blood from his father’s head. Caleb pushed him away and slammed the door.

            “What in the world happened to you? You been hanging around with them old drunks again?” Lucinda asked when she came home and saw the wound on Caleb’s head.

            “For your information, I ain’t been hanging around with nobody!”

            “Well, what happened to you then?”

Caleb turned and started toward the door.

            “I asked you a question, Caleb!” Lucinda said, moving around in front of him.

Caleb balanced himself on his crutch, slapped her hard across the face, hobbled out, and slammed the

door behind him. He stumbled home from the bar several hours later and maneuvered his way up the

steps of the small row house. He tripped and pushed the door open, sending the doorknob disappeared

in a hole in the faded blue entryway wall.  The drawing of Jesus fell to the floor.

Want to know what happened before and after this excerpt? Wait a couple of weeks…aaduna's spring issue is coming mid-late May. And re-visit Mr. Gladden as he brings his masterful words back to aaduna for our 2016 anniversary issue!

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aaduna - a timeless exploration into words and images - is a globally read, multi-cultural, and diverse online literary and visual arts journal established in 2010.  Visit us at www.aaduna.org where we put measurable actions to our words.



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