Sharing a Conversation....What Do You Think?
As we move through the early weeks of a new year, I thought you might want to read a few comments regarding one of the stories that aaduna published. Keith Laufenberg's "Childhood" (Click to read) was published in the 2010 spring/summer issue. His nomination for a Pushcart Prize elicited some interesting comments, and in one case, I asked Keith to provide the response.
Anonymous said...
Keith 's story "Childhood" is quite poignant. I feel it is worthy of the Pushcart Prize. Over the years, my magazine, Struggle, has published a number of Keith's stories, and in my opinion all or nearly all of them are worthy of the highest consideration. Frankly, I think he is building a major body of work, that he is a realist writer at the highest level. Keith seems capable of identifying with and expressing the inner feelngs and also the social life of a vast array of people. One might call him a chronicler, if he were simply describing existing people, but all these are people that he has conjured up in his imagination, yet that imagination is so fertile, and his observational eye so accurate, that you encounter his stories as if they were non-fiction accounts. And they are shaped to move the emotions and raise one's knowledge, so they are not dry lists of facts. I hold his work in very high regard and wish him good luck in getting some well-deserved recogniton.
January 11, 2012 4:10 PM
bill berry, jr. said...
bill berry, jr. said...
I read this story about Cole Black and I just wondered if it was true or not. Quite a discussion I have had with many friends about this story if its true or not but it was a really good story and I read it about a month ago but still think about it.
D.A.
D.A.
Jean Goldstrom said...
I'm delighted to see Keith Laufenberg's beautiful story "Childhood" made available to a wider audience. Keith is one of our star writers here at Whortleberry Press. He is well worthy of a PushCart Prize. If whoever judges those PushCart Prizes has any literary sense, they will surely see that this great honor goes to Keith. IMO he has earned it -- many times over.
-- Jean Goldstrom, Editor, Whortleberry Press
-- Jean Goldstrom, Editor, Whortleberry Press
Tim Hall said...
Keith 's story "Childhood" is quite poignant. I feel it is worthy of the Pushcart Prize. Over the years, my magazine, Struggle, has published a number of Keith's stories, and in my opinion all or nearly all of them are worthy of the highest consideration. Frankly, I think he is building a major body of work, that he is a realist writer at the highest level. Keith seems capable of identifying with and expressing the inner feelngs and also the social life of a vast array of people. One might call him a chronicler, if he were simply describing existing people, but all these are people that he has conjured up in his imagination, yet that imagination is so fertile, and his observational eye so accurate, that you encounter his stories as if they were non-fiction accounts. And they are shaped to move the emotions and raise one's knowledge, so they are not dry lists of facts. I hold his work in very high regard and wish him good luck in getting some well-deserved recogniton.
January 11, 2012 4:10 PM
bill berry, jr. said...
Dear D.A.
Thank you for your comments. I asked Keith Laufenberg to respond. Here is what Keith wrote:
Well, when I wrote the story "Childhood" I took the story from an article in theMiami
that moved me quite a bit; even though it was simply cold, hard news that offered little of
this child's insides or his thoughts. I wrote it in his voice and simply felt that if I could just
leave the story in a little better better shape than when I found it I would be satisfied and if it makes people think—and/or talk—than that's just a big plus. The irony of this story, to me, is that if it even generates enough attention to create a discussion than the story itself has outlived Cole Black, a fictional name for the actual child that the story is, primarily, about. Of course, the conditions—which are still there, by the way—that these children are forced to grow up in have to be eradicated ...period!
Peace,
Keith G.
Thank you for your comments. I asked Keith Laufenberg to respond. Here is what Keith wrote:
Well, when I wrote the story "Childhood" I took the story from an article in the
that moved me quite a bit; even though it was simply cold, hard news that offered little of
this child's insides or his thoughts. I wrote it in his voice and simply felt that if I could just
leave the story in a little better better shape than when I found it I would be satisfied and if it makes people think—and/or talk—than that's just a big plus. The irony of this story, to me, is that if it even generates enough attention to create a discussion than the story itself has outlived Cole Black, a fictional name for the actual child that the story is, primarily, about. Of course, the conditions—which are still there, by the way—that these children are forced to grow up in have to be eradicated ...period!
Peace,
Keith G.
bill berry, jr. said...
Dear Ms. Goldstrom,
Thank you for your kind words regarding Keith Laufenberg's talents as a writer. He does have the ability to weave very poignant stories that captivate, entertain, as well as educate.
Continued success with Whortleberry Press!
bill
Thank you for your kind words regarding Keith Laufenberg's talents as a writer. He does have the ability to weave very poignant stories that captivate, entertain, as well as educate.
Continued success with Whortleberry Press!
bill
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