This story, "Sequins," was originally published in Tumbarumba: a frolic of intrusions -- it was a little tricky to read, since it was this Firefox extension / art project thing. Now it's available to you in fabulous plain text. :-) Thanks to Ben Rosenbaum and Ethan Hawke for publishing it, and for letting me reprint it.
Story continues here.Sequins
"Sara?" Her husband stuck his head around the door of her studio. "Can you pick up Gaya from dance class this afternoon?"
"What?" Sarala blinked twice from behind her glasses, jarred from the image she'd held in her mind, the image that stubbornly refused to come out into the paint on her canvas. There was a body, she knew -- a body, and wings -- but more than that. Not as trite as a woman turning into a bird, seeking flight, freedom, escape. Along with the wings were powerful haunches, poised to leap, muscles tense and yearning. And claws, sharp and long; teeth, red at the tips. All caught at the moment of shifting, transformation, in that liminal space where every possibility hangs, glorious, waiting.
Beautiful story. Love it!
I’m glad!
Just noticed that it’s missing a few space breaks between sections; will fix it when I get home tonight.
Very cool story. Communication mistakes are so real and so dangerous! Thanks for posting it.
That would be Ethan Ham. If Ethan Hawke wants to collaborate with me, though, he should have his people call my people. I thought he did a good job in Before Sunset. 🙂
Honestly, I found the story quite trite. I read your blog all the time, and I tell myself it’s okay ‘cos you’re a writer, but I can’t use that excuse if the writing isn’t good.
Using marriage as a front to mask LGB orientation is endemic in South Asian communities, but your treatment was so full of bourgeoisie preoccupations with property/possessions/notions of perfection that it gets quite tedious. There is so little thought or music, and not a single line that doesn’t sound scripted by a writer of soap operas.
Sorry it didn’t work for you, Sorry. I recommend you read someone else whose work you like better!