Winners Announced!

Monologging.org is pleased to announce the winners of the 2015 “Pictured Pause Contest” in collaboration with Hoot.  The contest prompted writers from around the world to react to a photograph or painting with measured prose or poetry.  We received many excellent images and accompanying writing. Throughout the contest, entries were posted on social media so that Monologging followers could also participate in the contest, deciding a “People’s Choice,” winner. Mandy Stango’s entry, “Jaundiced” takes first place. This humorous tale muses about the slimy texture of an undercooked egg, fusing a mundane cafeteria scene with wonderful family reflections and hinting at the existence of several strong characters. Likewise, an excellent “Pause” by Regina Stribling, titled, “A Greater Place of Peace,” pairs text with imagery in a creative format, winning second place. Coming in third, Kelsey Dean’s, “Melting” presents a loveable voice full of humor and bright energy. Lastly, Eric Dean’s story and painting titled, “Clinging” is the winner of the People’s Choice Award.

The winners will receive incremental cash prizes, artwork by Dara Lorenzo, and subscriptions to Hoot. Scroll below to view their entries.

Photograph by Mandy Stango

Jaundiced

-Pictured Pause by Mandy Stango awarded 1st place-

My father, born yellow, slid from Grandma
pale and slime covered. Undercooked eggs oozed
yolk from his eye crusts, moist and glistening
like albumen. An old woman, scalp flaked
with dandruff, drizzled Hollandaise on stale
bread in the cafeteria beneath
the delivery room. Doctors drained pints
of blood from my father’s legs, sucked poison
from his arteries. Grandma wouldn’t eat
omelets for weeks.

***

Illustration by Regina Stribling

A Greater Place of Peace

-Pictured Pause by Regina Stribling, awarded 2nd place-

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Photo by Kelsey Dean

Melting

-Pictured Pause by Kelsey Dean, awarded 3rd place-

After Marianna won her arduous struggle with puberty and settled into the pleasing shape of a full-figured young woman, she found herself saddled with a problem: she had to eat ice cream in heaping spoonfuls to cool the constant heat rolling off her tongue. It was particularly obnoxious on glorious summer afternoons, because she required at least three scoops to keep her teapot-steam smile under control.  She spent every July sighing with exasperation as she licked rainbows off of cone after cone.  The boys gathered like sprinkles just to watch her mouth, strawberry-pink and twinkling with the promise of laughter.

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Painting by Eric Dean

Clinging

-Pictured Pause by Eric Dean, awarded the “People’s Choice” Prize-

I awoke from a nightmare once in my early 30s and realized that I was still a kid, and that I might always be. This is something I’d always suspected and feared. Maybe sanity, stability, and the comfort of familiarity, are all just a thin veneer beneath which we are all shivering and clinging to one another in terror at the unimaginable chaos of the universe. Maybe everything falls apart, and you can never go home again. Maybe love and relationships are just a protracted way of saying, “Please… hold me while I die.”

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#FlashTag: Still Life

Monologging.org invites you to help create collaborative flash fiction. The following picture-inspired story, needs to be completed by Saturday, July 18th. Every day, different authors around the world will be selected to contribute the next line. Find out how to submit your twist to the evolving plot by visiting the #FlashTag Submission Guidelines… Submit Free!

Photo by Jeffrey F. Barken

#FlashTag: Still Life

#FlashTag @monologging As Senator Brown drafted his letter of resignation, shadows collected on the wall.

#FlashTag @itsjaykyall Downstairs, the angry mob called. No take-backs now. This was a disappearing act. He noted the date of his fall.

#FlashTag @JemmaMarieBeggs. A sharp knock on the door shook him from his reverie. “They’re ready for you, Senator.”

#FlashTag @diranasaurus “And I’m ready for them.” Senator Brown stood and patted his pocket.

#FlashTag @monologging Brown’s persistent, though humbled smile said he’d do it all again. “Dear Friends & enemies” he spoke into the mic.

#FlashTag @NairobiCollins Two years: Brown’s fall became a bounce. His notoriety became ubiquity. A book, a talk show, & countless offers.

Think you’ve got the next line to the story? Submit your #FlashTag response via Submittable!

Need a little help getting started? Click here to read: #FlashTag Examples

WuHkE1eU2AY

Big Screen Streaming: Harold and Maude

-Film Reviewed by Roger Market–

First released in 1971, Harold and Maude was ahead of its time. Consequently, the film was a box office flop, but it later enjoyed a cult following. By 1983, Harold and Maude had finally turned a profit. Now, in the age of streaming video, a new generation of viewers can enjoy this wonderful dark comedy about a wealthy teenager who’s bored of money and—much to his mother’s chagrin—obsessed with death.

When Harold Chasen finally meets 79-year-old Maude at a funeral, after seeing her at several other burials around town, he realizes that she’s more than a fellow funeral crasher. Maude has a zest for life that Harold has never seen, a worldview that’s a stark contrast to his own. How many septuagenarians are prepared to steal a car at a moment’s notice? A deep, beautiful friendship quickly emerges from their encounter, one that challenges Harold just as much as it teaches him about life.

The main subplot of the film revolves around Harold’s mother’s conviction that it’s time “to put away childish things” and become a man. In particular, Mrs. Chasen wants her son to get married and to abandon his fascination with death. “I can’t stand much more of this!” she says, horrified by his morbid curiosities. In one memorable scene, Mrs. Chasen tells Harold that she’s going to help him fill out a dating questionnaire for a computer matching service that will set him up with three young women. She then she proceeds to answer all the questions herself, reading them aloud. “‘Do you sometimes have headaches or backaches after a difficult day?’” she asks. “Yes, I do indeed!” she replies, marking her answer. Meanwhile, a silent Harold sits nearby and pretends to shoot himself in the face, obviously feeling stifled by his mother’s empty concern and self-involved actions. Harold’s dates feature similar antics, as they take place at their home, with Mrs. Chasen taking an active role.

In one of the film’s most iconic moments, Harold goes to visit Maude in her home, which is actually an old train car by the side of the road. In this scene, Maude sings and dances to Cat Stevens’ “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out,” which becomes a theme song of sorts. She plays it on the player piano.

Maude then asks Harold to play a song with her, and he tells her he doesn’t play an instrument. “Dear me, everybody should be able to play some music,” she says, opening a closet full of instruments. She rifles through, finally selecting a banjo. “This is the one,” she says, giving it to him.

Up to now, music has mostly been in the background of the movie, but here, Maude brings it to the forefront and makes it special for Harold. To her, music is a “cosmic dance,” and it’s representative of the most precious things in life. This concept is echoed by the movie’s stellar soundtrack, which consists of several songs by Cat Stevens, plus a couple of instrumentals. Indeed, some viewers may be surprised to learn that Stevens’ now-classic “Don’t Be Shy” and “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” were composed specifically for Harold and Maude and were not released outside the movie until 1984. The message of “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” for the movie is apparent in the lyrics themselves, but the events of the final act, including a reprise of the song at the end, drive the point home: as Maude would say, waving her arms about like a cheerleader, “L-I-V-E, live!”

Ruth Gordon, who plays Maude, turns in a dynamite performance. Although she was about seventy-five when the film came out—only a few years younger than her character—she exhibits a young, lively spirit that perfectly captures the essence of Maude. Viewers won’t even bat an eye when she launches into her little cheer. Likewise, Bud Cort does a great job embodying Harold, and the chemistry between Gordon and Cort is mesmerizing. The film’s events span about a week, and in that short time, Harold and Maude become the best of friends. Indeed, they are in love. The controversial bond conveyed on screen is genuine and full of heart, especially as the movie reaches its inevitable conclusion. Meanwhile, Vivian Pickles is hilarious as Harold’s overbearing, self-centered mother. Her delivery of the line “HAROLD! That was your last date!” is one that most viewers will never forget.

For all the incredible qualities of Harold and Maude, the film does have a few minor flaws. The most obvious issue is the question of Harold’s age. Although Cort was twenty-three when the film debuted, he had a deceptively young face. In the opening scene, for example, Harold seems to be about twelve years old. It’s a bit shocking, therefore, when he buys a hearse and begins driving. For the most part, there’s hardly a mention of school or anything else that would normally clue the viewer in to a young character’s age. Another minor flaw is that in the second half of the movie, Harold sees Maude’s bare arm for the first time and notices a number tattooed. Perhaps writer Colin Higgins didn’t want to focus too much attention on the fact that Maude is a Holocaust survivor, but on the other hand, this turn of events seems like an opportunity for adding depth to Maude’s character: an old women who escaped the Holocaust with an infectious passion for life.

Nonetheless, Harold and Maude is a fantastic movie. It’s the kind of movie that “they” don’t make anymore, particularly because it doesn’t fall into any of the categories with which Hollywood is presently infatuated. The film isn’t based on a book or any other intellectual property; it isn’t part of a series; and it doesn’t feature superheroes, dinosaurs, or talking animals. This 1970s gem was made for just $1.3 million, but every dollar went toward making a film that’s touching and darkly comedic. Harold and Maude is highly recommended, and right now, viewers can catch it for free on Netflix and Amazon Prime.

***

Post Photo Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

#FlashTag: Blizzard

Monologging.org invites you to help create collaborative flash fiction. The following picture-inspired story, featuring photography by Monologging artist, Ronaldo Aguiar, needs to be completed by Saturday, July 11th. Every day, different authors around the world will be selected to contribute the next line. Find out how to submit your twist to the evolving plot by visiting the #FlashTag Submission Guidelines… Submit Free!

Photography by Ronaldo Aguiar

#FlashTag: Blizzard

#FlashTag @monologging @ronaldoags “Damn it, Tom, the car won’t start.”

#FlashTag @itsjaykyall “We’ll push,” Eric said, full of adrenaline.  The snow was mounting fast.

#FlashTag @JeffreyFBarken Tom’s feet sank a foot deep. He pushed. The wheels spun & the car didn’t budge. “Where are we anyway?” Tom asked.

#FlashTag @jennblott “No clue.” Backing away, their heavy breaths exhaled in bone-chilled, cupped hands. Subzero was an evident victor.

#FlashTag @diranasaurus “Where’s your phone, Eric?” No service. “We’ll have to hoof it,” Tom said.

#FlashTag @monologging “Go ahead,” said Eric. “But I’m not leaving. You know what happens around here when the sun goes down. I won’t leave”

Think you’ve got the next line to the story? Submit your #FlashTag response via Submittable!

Need a little help getting started? Click here to read: #FlashTag Examples

#FlashTag: The Future

Monologging.org invites you to help create collaborative flash fiction. The following picture-inspired story needs to be completed by Saturday, July 4th. A new line will be added daily by different authors from around the world. Find out how to submit your twist to the evolving plot by visiting the #FlashTag Submission Guidelines… Submit Free!

Photograph by Jeffrey F. Barken

#FlashTag: The Future

#FlashTag @monologging “We’ll have no power this winter if these clouds don’t break,” Nick’s Dad warned.

#FlashTag @monologging The solar panels were ice cold. There was no wind. Lights in the distance flickered, then went out.

#FlashTag @diranasaurus “Shit.” Nick pulled his jacket closed, & held it tight with his working hand.

#FlashTag @JemmaMarieBeggs Since the accident, he didn’t trust his other hand. He kept it encased in a steel glove, far from people’s necks.

#FlashTag @JeffreyFBarken Lightning split the clouds. There were sirens. Nick’s father worked frantically, tightening screws on the panel.

***

Think you’ve got the next line to the story? Submit your #FlashTag response via Submittable!

Need a little help getting started? Click here to read: #FlashTag Examples

Pop-Up Preview

-A collaboration by Diana Muller, Dara Lorenzo and Jeffrey F. Barken-

This summer, “life moves faster than reason…” Witness a novel come to life through interactive multimedia. Don’t miss Monologging.org’s first ever pop-up gallery in NYC, celebrating the publication of All the Lonely Boys in New York. The collaborative pop-up gallery will take place this week, June 25th – 27th at Gallery Sensei. 278 Grand Street, (2nd floor) NYC, NY, 10002.

Works on display include:

• Illustrations, oil paintings and prints by Diana Muller
• Photo prints by Dara Lorenzo
• All the Lonely Boys in New York, the new novel by Jeffrey F. Barken
• Live jazz every night! Soundtrack opening night provided by Sweet Megg & the Wayfarers.

*Gallery open daily 10AM-Midnight. This event is free & open to the public. 

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#FlashTag: Scrim

Monologging.org invites you to help create collaborative flash fiction. The following picture-inspired story, featuring photography by Monologging artist, Ronaldo Aguiar, needs to be completed by Saturday, June 27th. Every day, different authors around the world will be selected to contribute the next line. Find out how to submit your twist to the evolving plot by visiting the #FlashTag Submission Guidelines… Submit Free!

Photo by Ronaldo Aguiar

#FlashTag: Scrim

#FlashTag @monologging @ronaldoags “Where are you taking me?” Nina asked. “Surprise,” Dan answered.

#FlashTag @BobFairfield1 “And I thought the blindfold was for a game”, she sighed.

#FlashTag @monologging @JennBlott “If we can find the magic carpet…we’ll have fun,” Dan promised.

#FlashTag @diranasaurus “Are you being serious, Dan?” Nina asked. She studied his eyes.

#FlashTag @JeffreyFBarken They began digging through the stacks of carpet. Dust kicked up a scrim & set them sneezing.

#FlashTag @jkres14 Nina climbed the ladder. Top shelf, under a bag of rags, she spied a red corner with gold trimmings. She wondered if she believed in magic.

***

Think you’ve got the next line to the story? Submit your #FlashTag response via Submittable!

Need a little help getting started? Click here to read: #FlashTag Examples

***

Post photo by Ferd Mainolfi

Born Yesterday

-Theatre Review by Nairobi RL Collins–

For the final show of their ninety-ninth season of continuous production, The Vagabond Players in Fells Point, Baltimore present Born Yesterday, June 5 – 28. This 1946 Broadway hit has enjoyed one of the longest runs in history and was adapted into a classic 1950 film. The play explores the dark side of money and politics in post–World War II Washington, D.C.

Born Yesterday is an intimate look at money and power and the ensuing corruption that occurs when unscrupulous people have both. The play examines the dangers of naiveté as well as the power that comes through knowledge and self-education, casting more-than-subtle nods at women’s liberation.

We are introduced first to investigative reporter Paul Verrall and New Jersey junkman Harry Brock, a millionaire ignoramus, and bully. Verrall, played by Torberg M. Tonnessen, is a straight-talking gentleman who has been called to interview Brock about his great fortune, his arrival in Washington and his affairs. Where Verrall is civil, subdued, and knowledgeable, Brock—ably and convincingly played by Steven Shriner—is an intimidating man with a loud voice and a big personality. He runs the stage like an angry bull with red in his eyes and often shouts “Do what I tell ya!” to people who aren’t keen on obeying him.

Anne Shoemaker and Torberg M. Tonnessen. Production photo by Ferd Mainolfi

Shriner’s boisterous character is tempered by cast-mates Carol Conly Evans as the housekeeper and the senator’s wife, Bruce Levy as the bellman and barber, and Mark Wibble as Harry’s cousin Eddie. These comedic roles smartly punctuate the play.

Brock is in town to lobby the corrupt Senator Norval Hedges (played by Bill Bossemeyer) and to make a deal that will enrich Brock, giving him greater political influence. Harry fears that while he tries to make connections in Washington his girlfriend’s ignorance will cause people to judge him. Billie Dawn is a beautiful trophy girlfriend with the looks of a classic film actress and the voice of a Jersey-born street girl. (Indeed Anne Shoemaker makes an entrance as Billie Dawn.) When she informed that she will receive lessons in refinement, Billie refuses, and Harry does his usual to get his way. He storms about, shouting “Do as I say!” Unfortunately for Harry, these words lead to the unraveling of his schemes.

Verrall agrees to educate Billie, at the insistence of Harry. Anne Shoemaker converts Billie Dawn from an ignoramus to a scholar in a beautiful, nuanced character evolution. Billie Dawn’s confidence builds as she takes a moral stand against her boyfriend’s schemes and realizes her power not only to stop them, but also to become a better person.

Anne Shoemaker and Steven Shriner. Production photo by Ferd Mainolfi

Ed Devery, played aptly by Mark Scharf, is a lawyer in his early 50s. He is also a former secretary of a great Supreme Court justice and once known as a man with a promising future. Fifteen years later, however, Devery’s only client is Harry Brock, whom he is currently aiding in his shady scheme. Along with the corrupt Senator Hedges, Brock, Devery, and cousin Eddie represent the different types of men that precipitated the decline of honest democracy in America.

Set in a lavish hotel suite, the action is so well-paced that one hardly notices that the play occurs in only one room over the course of two months. The set is a deep and exact replica of a late-1940s hotel decor. The pillows, couches, doors, and décor (including what may be genuine vintage wallpaper) create the beautiful illusion of a world outside the stage walls. As with other Vagabond sets, the attention to detail of sound and light, combined with the hyper-real set, create the effect of peering into a diorama.

“The proper study of mankind is man.”

“Of course that means womankind, too, right?”

“Of course it does.”

Billie learns a lesson in Thomas Paine as she grows more aware of her role in Brock’s scheme and the pathetic state of the important men that surround her. She reminds Senator Hedges and the lawyer Devery of the greatness they are supposed to represent. They express that they are sorry for what they are, but they are unwilling to rise above the corruption. As Billie becomes wiser, she emerges as a force to be reckoned with, standing taller than anyone else in the room. She also falls in love with Paul Verrall, who embodies the truth that she has come to embrace.

Carol Conley Evans, Anne Shoemaker, Bill Bossemeyer. Photo by Tom Lauer

Born Yesterday is wonderful play filled with sterling allusions to the meaning of American democracy and citizenship. Written at a time when the American government was taking new shape amid postwar prosperity, the play is an allegory depicting the essence of lesser men: the ignoramus with money, the educated man with no power, the powerful man with no courage. In opposition to these men is an enlightened man who seeks and shares the truth and an uneducated but responsible woman who strives to better herself and her country. Born Yesterday is showing again now at a time when such lessons need to be reiterated. Hopefully, this show continues its long run, and the Vagabond Players will do the same as they approach their centennial season.

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Post Photos Courtesy of the Vagabond Theatre

#FlashTag: Old World

Monologging.org invites you to help create collaborative flash fiction. The following picture-inspired story, featuring artwork by Monologging artist, Michael Hassoun, needs to be completed by Saturday, June 20th. Every day, different authors around the world will be selected to contribute the next line. Find out how to submit your twist to the evolving plot by visiting the #FlashTag Submission Guidelines… Submit Free!

Photograph by Michael Hassoun

#FlashTag: Old World

#FlashTag @monologging The headlines were discouraging.

#FlashTag @monologging Refugee Crisis. Bubble & Bust. Greece… Abdul perused the sports page. “I’ll bet,” he said, choosing his horse.

#FlashTag @jkres14 Abdul knew he was descending into vice. No stopping a charging horse. The street wound down the hill toward the racetrack.

#FlashTag @diranasaurus Abdul considered the old men he knew when he was little. The racetrack-goers old & young clutched their tickets.

#FlashTag @JeffreyFBarken The gates burst open. “And they’re off!” the announcer hollered. Abdul’s horse steered through the stampede.

#FlashTag @NairobiCollins It used to be a man could make a living on the strength of a horse. Now, luck was all Abdul had: Maybe this time.

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Think you’ve got the next line to the story? Submit your #FlashTag response via Submittable!

Need a little help getting started? Click here to read: #FlashTag Examples

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Post Photo Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

Undone

-Story by Jemma Beggs–

Monday morning, 9:00 a.m.

She pauses in the doorway, takes one last deep breath to try and smother the dread that pools in her stomach, then strides across the room, keeping her eyes fixed on her destination.

Victoria is watching.

She is relieved to see the empty white space of the desk: Good, no mess. A clean slate today. She sits, then risks a glance. Victoria is staring at her with eyes like bottomless pits. She quickly averts her gaze but can still feel those black eyes.

Michael approaches her desk. Victoria watches. Judges.

Resentment flares across her cheeks: Doesn’t Victoria have anything important to do? She watches Michael’s mouth move as he speaks, but her thoughts drift to Victoria.

“I need to know what you think about…”

Why won’t she leave me alone?

“…so it’s very important that you listen to what I’m saying, because…”

What kind of sicko is she, anyway?

“…and last week we had some complaints about your behavior in…”

She must make her stop staring. She can’t bear it for another second. The rage writhes upward through her body, like a swarm of maggots eating her from within. It pools in her throat until she feels she will choke.

Michael stops talking. In the silence, Victoria unleashes a high, cold laugh.

The moment swells and snaps and she lunges at Victoria.

She smashes her hands into Victoria’s cold, hard face, again and again and again. Blood runs down her arms, and a torrent of high-pitched screams gush from her mouth in blind rage as she obliterates all trace of this vile, loathsome person.

“Someone grab her!”

“She shouldn’t be in the rec-room with the other patients—she’s not stable.”

The nurses push needles through Victoria’s skin, sedating her. They swaddle her bleeding hands.

“It’s only the mirror, Victoria,” Michael says gently, as she slackens.

***

Post Photo Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org