Fumigation: A Love Story
November 6, 2014 12:04 AM Subscribe
“Your head is like obsidian,” she says to you, her hand passing North and South and East and West smooth across the surface, erasing away smudges, blood stains (but not scars, no, not scars, never scars) and the exoskeletons of memories bashed against a windshield.
You recall all you learned from geology classes as she continues to stroke your head. The glass forms because something very hot turns very cold, very quickly. This explains what’s happening right now — your body cooling rapidly against hers. Her skin broils, it could turn you into a naked volcanic glass statue and you would not really be surprised. And you would not mind.Short fiction by Mónica Teresa Ortiz. (Two illustrations contain nonsexual nudity.)
That is some nice writing
posted by Templebane at 2:10 AM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Templebane at 2:10 AM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Initially, based on the quotes, I thought this was one of those "worst writing / most overwrought metaphors" kind of things. These two particular paragraphs are horrible!
- the parts I skimmed over on the actual linked page seemed ok though.
posted by mary8nne at 2:27 AM on November 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
- the parts I skimmed over on the actual linked page seemed ok though.
posted by mary8nne at 2:27 AM on November 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
This is good! Thanks for posting this. It feels like there has been more fantastic short fiction being posted here lately, and I am loving the trend.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:41 AM on November 6, 2014
posted by Dip Flash at 5:41 AM on November 6, 2014
This leaves me confused about what is considered good writing. I agree, these two paragraphs are terrible. In particular, the bit about scars seems straight out of someone's angsty high school prose, but the rest is not great either.
I guess, I would be interested in some more context on the author and some better examples of her work. There is a little about her at the bottom of the linked page, which makes me think that she is skilled-- but at the same time, this is something that she's posted online, that perhaps didn't make it to other avenues of publication? It seems like a pretty informal piece, despite the presence of (commissioned?) illustrations.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 8:40 AM on November 6, 2014
I guess, I would be interested in some more context on the author and some better examples of her work. There is a little about her at the bottom of the linked page, which makes me think that she is skilled-- but at the same time, this is something that she's posted online, that perhaps didn't make it to other avenues of publication? It seems like a pretty informal piece, despite the presence of (commissioned?) illustrations.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 8:40 AM on November 6, 2014
Initially, based on the quotes, I thought this was one of those "worst writing / most overwrought metaphors" kind of things. These two particular paragraphs are horrible!
I've found that sometimes the very best stuff (writing, music, a movie, a painting) can yield the most absurd fragments if they're suddenly separated from their context. This is just how some artists work. They don't repress their more purple compulsions, but neither do they shirk the diligence of creating a framework that justifies them.
I will now dig into Fumigation and see how it does (or doesn't) accomplish this.
posted by philip-random at 9:15 AM on November 6, 2014
I've found that sometimes the very best stuff (writing, music, a movie, a painting) can yield the most absurd fragments if they're suddenly separated from their context. This is just how some artists work. They don't repress their more purple compulsions, but neither do they shirk the diligence of creating a framework that justifies them.
I will now dig into Fumigation and see how it does (or doesn't) accomplish this.
posted by philip-random at 9:15 AM on November 6, 2014
... and it works because the whole thing is both purple and knowing. Which is to say, it's absurd and of course the writer knows this, but the writer isn't just taking the piss, the writer is coming clean about their own particular absurdity. Not unlike this song really.
love's like that.
posted by philip-random at 9:25 AM on November 6, 2014
love's like that.
posted by philip-random at 9:25 AM on November 6, 2014
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posted by jaduncan at 1:35 AM on November 6, 2014