A Rainy Day
Today, after sploshing through many a puddle in very thin soled slippers, I was watching the rain in the auto coming back home. The day was gray and the leaves were bright green, the breeze was chillingly comforting, and I thought to myself perfect for a nice hot cup of tea.
And was reminded of my favourite comic book. Something I picked up cos it was on sale, battered, only 25 bucks. ‘The Four Elements’ by Roz Chast. A cartoonist whose work appears in the New Yorker. Her work is amazing, very holding-up-a-mirror-to-your-face.
I came home and took it out of the bookshelf, turned to the page that had reminded me of the book. ‘A Winter’s Day’, fits fine with ‘A Rainy Day’ too.
I’d like to share this page with you, but I don’t have a scanner and can’t draw it in Paint. So I’m gonna have to describe it and you’ll have to visualize it, piece it together. Maybe a lil brain taxing after the Su Dokus, bus rides, nerve-wrangling clients, sploshing through puddles of your own…but hey, humour me, just this once.
A Winter’s Day
Frame 1
Book cover.
‘A Winter’s Day by Mary Lou Fleckner’, Blurb on the right top says ‘49 cents’. Blurb on the left top says ‘A Here-We-Are’ book. Picture of a woman on the front.
Frame 2
Open book.
Left page: copyright 1981. All persons, places, and things in this book are fictitious, so don’t get yourself into a tizzy over anything.
Right page: ‘A Winter’s Day’. Picture of gloves, muffler, cap and hot steaming cup of tea.
Frame 3
Left page: Blank.
Right page: Picture of woman sitting at table drinking tea, looking out of window – English cottage feel. ‘It was bitterly cold.’
Frame 4
Left page: Picture: Woman looking out of window at cottage on yonder hill. ‘But there was nothing that Mary Sue Fletcher could do about it.’
Right page: Picture: Four ring stove with kettle on one ring. ‘Maybe another cup of tea would be nice.’
Frame 5
Left page: Woman back at table drinking tea. ‘Mmm… that hits the spot.’
Right page: Table with phone ringing. ‘Was that the phone?’
Frame 6
Left page: Woman standing over dead phone, staring at it. ‘Must’ve been a wrong number.’
Right page: Window with curtains, darkness outside. ‘It’s hard to believe, but at only 4:20 it’s already practically dark.’
Frame 7
Left page: Woman sitting on couch staring at TV which says ‘Evening News’. ‘Where did the day go?’
Right page: ‘The End’.
Frame 8
Back cover.
Portrait pic of woman. ‘Mary Lou Fleckner has written books on various topics and subjects, if you must know.’
Enjoy it at face value or read into it – it’s beautiful both ways!
posted by cactusjump @ 12:33 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
Mary Sue Fletcher and Mary Lou Fleckner? Strange, no?
I had a series of WWII comics that were gruesome and informative in a very wierd sense. I learnt more about Tanks, MPVs, ACMs, and other artillery from these than from the manuals themselves! And let's not even go into the regular vanilla comics. That was a different life. :)
heh, what colour is cover page of the book? :)
- eclipse
Right !! all good things are too fleeting these days ...
:-))
btw...it just isnt f#%$%* fair!! we had sunshine this part of the town today!! all puddles dried up!!:-(
bips
i could see it right it front of my eyes :)
and is it some coincidence that am having tea while reading this! i miss rains. the indian rains. the smell of wet soil when the drops first touch the parched earth. funny but i could smell "that" smell today while washing the potatoes with some soil still clinging onto them.
it doesn't rain indian-rain here.
Parna
lemongrass.blogdrive.com
there's a place called cash converters in singapore where one can buy the most awesome out of circulation cds for 2$.
the best things in life arent free, but they come for bargain prices.
Nice visualistations.
I've got attached to some books in the past.. kind of the opposite of what you wrote about.. I'd read them so often, that I could visualize the entire story so easily... like a movie, and i'd wish so hard that I could draw them or plug something into my head to get the images on somethign solid...... ... I guess I like text more than images...
Btw... I've had a day like that.. very similar.. just chillin in my glass box in the rain, sippin on disco tea and a good book on my lap.
Nice visualistations.
I've got attached to some books in the past.. kind of the opposite of what you wrote about.. I'd read them so often, that I could visualize the entire story so easily... like a movie, and i'd wish so hard that I could draw them or plug something into my head to get the images on somethign solid...... ... I guess I like text more than images...
Btw... I've had a day like that.. very similar.. just chillin in my glass box in the rain, sippin on disco tea and a good book on my lap.
Where did the day go? Well, where do all days go? They must be somewhere - may be a lost-and-found section of the universe. Perhaps.
Strangely adult tone to it, no? And nicely calm too :)
Heretic: There is more, there is more!
Anon: All B&W drawings.
bob: I bet to differ, not true.
bips: raindrops keep falling on my head :)
parna: hmm... i foresee u and s having lotsa potato dinners!
nish: cash converters - strange name for a music shop.
diablosan: :)
squared: kinda like those pens and lighters :)
persephone: adult, yes. calming - depends which way you look at it.
Hi CJ: I see I have a lot to catch up on. I've been a little preoccuppied. A lot of things to sort out. But coming back to what I wanted to say, that was a pretty good narrative. I could almost see it in my mind, except for that woman's face. Can I guess? Is she fashionably thin, somewhat stylishly dressed, hair to her shoulders, and somewhere in her mid-to-late thirties?
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