Happy Stephen Crane No Limits Day!

For me this is July 15, 2000.


Counting from the date of my own birth (December 11, 1971) to that day -- which I called in my journal "Stephen Crane Limit Day" covers the lifespan of American author Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 - June 5, 1900), whom we probably know best for writing the Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage ... at least I do because I remember it as required reading in seventh grade English. Or was it eighth? Anyway, that cemented his rep among soldiers and readers so much that years afterward veterans of the Union Army swore up and down that Crane served with them. Look at his birthdate above, and find that would be somewhat tricky as he was born six years after the Civil War ended. Oh he wrote more books and some poetry and served for a time as a war correspondent, but I'm a mite jealous. When I was twenty-eight -- again, check the dates -- I don't remember quite having that prestige and recognition. Now at forty-four, I find myself asking do I really want it?


None of them knew the color of the sky.


Among the books I've finished this weekend were a biography about Crane written -- and in the case of my particular copy, autographed -- by Christopher Benfey, The Double Life of Stephen Crane (ISBN 0394568648) and his "double life" in this case refers to his attempts at living out what he wrote about. Hence the war correspondence. In the case of his short story "The Open Boat" which I excerpt between paragraphs today, he himself was shipwrecked and adrift. In the case of Maggie: A Girl of the Streets his first novel (Courage is his second) he started out meaning to research but later took as his common-law wife the madam of a Jacksonville, Florida ... eh, house of ill repute. As far as I know, most of my works are not direct results of my researching a particular time or place -- okay, nor long remember and scenes in Litany qualify, and when I haven't been somewhere myself I try to map it out as accurately as possible. I'm sure a native will catch what I miss.


Their eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the waves that swept toward them.


And should they, I can say since the novel is set in the near-future with super powered persons (is that not a crock? Superhero is trademarked jointly by Marvel and DC.) that whatever they refer to has probably fallen apart or been blown up! Which was kind of my weekend ... nothing THAT nasty, though I will admit going to church yesterday and feeling the need to apologize for losing a job there ... I thought I was being the bigger person apologizing, but instead I felt so small. And it's not as though I can never do anything in church again, just not again ... something I thought I was called to do. Though I will admit yesterday the kids not registering that NO MEANS NO pushed me nigh to the breaking point. Let's just say that for that ethnic potluck we had yesterday the family did not stay to eat it with me. I explained it as Martha, Sarah, and Jeffrey are all picky eaters (ok, not that picky) and since church is just a thirty-minute walk, I came I ate and I left.


These waves were of the hue of slate, save for the tops, which were of foaming white, and all of the men knew the colors of the sea.


Saturday we had intermittent snow fall that ended up being slush on the ground -- nobody really slipped and fell, but it could have happened! Kids and I went to Breakfast with the Boys, I stayed for Bible study and the kids and I both played Monkey in the Middle in the interim, and from one to three Jeffrey was invited to a birthday party for one of his classmates, Kiernan. Before then we stopped at four thrift stores and then ended up at Kmart getting Jeffrey a new pair of shoes because finding the right size for him USED ... forget it. Jeffrey really had fun at that party (it was pirate-themed and eight other kids were there besides him and the guest of honor!), and Sarah got a new diary of her very own while we were out. She's started in them with the colored pencils which were among the discounted Easter baskets we bought (WAY discounted) already and what I see is so far quite a boon for her!


The horizon narrowed and widened, and dipped and rose, and at all times its edge was jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in points like rocks. 


You'll be hearing more,


David