This
week you will read the SBTS from two talented authors who are part of the Seasonal Collective and contributors to
the Path Anthologies.
The
most recent being Spring Paths.
Both
Chuck and Sandra have been guests on the Scribbler before and I encourage you to
check them out.
Read
on my friends.
Sandra Bunting is the author of two
collections of short stories, two poetry books and a non-fiction book besides
having work included in anthologies and literary magazines. She works as an
editor at the Irish-based literary magazine Crannog, and offers editing and
proofreading of manuscripts through her own Gaelog Press.
Chuck is both a writer and an author, with
eleven books/novels published. While he mostly enjoys writing mysteries:
Suspense-Thrillers and Cozy Mysteries, he also writes short stories. All of his
books are well-reviewed, and he has sat on the boards of the Writers’
Federation of NB, The Writers’ Union of Canada, is a Fellow of the Kingsbrae
International Residency for the Arts, as well as being acknowledged as a member
of the Miramichi Literary Trail. His thriller series chronicles the adventures
of an international thief for hire, while his cozy series (written as Alexa
Bowie) follows the adventures of the owner of an arts centre as Emma solves the
crimes that swirl around her centre: The Old Manse.
Chuck lives in Fredericton and on Miramichi
Bay.
Title: Anthologies.
Synopsis from Spring Paths:
Sometimes, a compelling short story is all you need. Let our tales of gods, ghosts, alien worlds, mystery, secrecy, love, loss and horror get under your skin for a while.
Nine North Atlantic writers have collaborated to create this anthology, the third in a series of multi-genre fables that will entertain, possibly unsettle, and cause you to think about the present in which we live.
Curl up on the sofa and allow yourself to be lost in the pages of this fascinating book.
The Story Behind the Story
Sandra: One
of the most evocative images of summer when I was a child was a blue sky, a
meadow full of yellow wildflowers – probably dandelions and buttercups - and a
clothesline of pristine white sheets flapping gently in the breeze. We all know
that this description is now generally a thing of the past. Dryers are just
more convenient in our busy lives. But I wanted to work around the idea of a clothesline.
My story in the forthcoming anthology Summer Paths, the fourth in a
series put out by The Seasonal Collective, is called Clean Laundry.
Through the story, I wanted
to explore several themes. I set it in a rural community and wanted to break
the myth that country people were old-fashioned. Technological advances are as
prevalent in smaller communities as they are in big cities. However, I wanted
to see what could happen if one person moved into the community and tried to
change the way things were done.
Reflecting on that theme
also brought to mind a memory of being in the company of women when I was a
little girl. I remember one time sitting with them in the kitchen as they spoke
in horror of “a clothesline thief”.
I usually try to sneak in
mention of some issues that I feel passionate about, namely creativity and the
environment. I feel that it is vital as a human to in some way be creative. I
feel creativity could help answer some of the world’s problems. Another issue
is the environment We are so fortunate to live on this beautiful earth but we
don’t look after it.
Clean Laundry is a
light-hearted homage to summer, which also lights on serious topics that can be
contemplated at a later time. How do I weave all these themes together? Enter
into summer. Enter into the pages of Clean Laundry.
Chuck: When the Spring Paths Melt from Spring Paths.
I had a dream many years ago, where the City of
Fredericton flooded. I had gotten a casual job emptying a store basement on
Queen St, down by the river during an unusual spring flood. I wondered what
would happen if the spring freshet hit at the same time as the Grand Falls,
Beechwood and Mactaquac dams all breached. Many years later, I added Climate
Change and my recurring dream became a bit of a nightmare.
When I awoke, the simple dream of the entire city being
under water became a speculation project for me. Would I have a protagonist?
Just one? Would they be starving or scavenging? Scavenging, I thought. Would
they die (alone)? Or would there be hope? Would it be a cautionary tale of
Man’s foolishness? I didn’t want to do that. Rather, I wanted something
immediate, human, and real enough to touch the reader.
I wanted the reader to be in the rowboat with the one who
might be the last human in the region.
So that became the story. But I’ve always been as
concerned—perhaps even more—with the How of the story. How can my character
review their situation, and then summon the will to get out of bed in the
morning? What to they do every day; does every minute, like that of ancient
man, have to be about scrabbling for food, warmth, and shelter? How do they put
one foot in front of the other, in the hope that things will get better, when
it probably won’t?
But that’s how the human race managed to survive, isn’t
it.
So I wrote a story about a brave young man who hoped that
things would get better. He did the little things to engender optimism within
his soul. He measured, daily, the height of the water above a specific rooftop.
He checked his shoreline every day, placing a rock at the water’s edge and
noting where the waterline had previously been. He got out of bed each morning.
And he hoped.
Readers sometimes ask me how I make my stories come to
life. One of the responses I offer is to explain that I watch the details of my
day, and note how the details enrich the story; make it real. Remember how I
told of emptying a flooded basement of a downtown shop? I was up to my chest in
water, carrying boxes, and I walked past a light switch, three inches above the
basement water. And then I looked up at the bare ceiling bulb illuminating my
work. And then back to that almost-flooded switch. See? It is those details
that add a bit of zest to my stories. Sure, I destroy three dams, but I also
place a rock at the waterline. Just to give you hope.
You can get your copy of Spring Paths ( and the
others) HERE.
Thank you both, for being our guests and sharing your inspiration for the short story contributions to the Anthology. We wish you continued success with your writing journeys.
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And a HUGE
thank you to our dear readers and visitors. We do it all for you.
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