The Middlewesterner

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY

"My uncle operated a snake ranch," Michelle told me, "and on occasion would hold these snake rodeos."

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Thanks again to Kathy Schuster, Fairwater, Wisconsin.

ANOTHER LINE, ANOTHER STORY THIRD TRIP AROUND THE HORN FOR SUZANNAGIG

I had just posted yesterday about

Peter at Slow Reads finishing one of my "Lines" with his story "Improvements" when Suzanne at suzannagig e-mailed a link to her story completing my "He's bald" line. This is Suzanne's third time to the top of the mountain, by the way. Her other stories from my lines can be read here and here.

Thanks, Suzanne!

ANOTHER WAITING LINE GETS ITS STORY

This time it was Peter at Slow Reads

who completed "A Line Waiting for Its Story." He took the most recent offering right downtown with "Improvements," answering the question "What comes next?" after a line like this:

He looked at the old house,
then turned and said, "We'll be married before it needs paint again."

Thanks, Peter!

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY

He looked at the old house,

then turned and said, "We'll be married before it needs paint again."

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UPDATE: On the very same day it was published, Peter at Slow Reads completed this "Line Waiting for Its Story" with his "Improvements." Thanks, Peter!

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY

"He's bald,"

she said. "Yeah, he's bald, but he keeps his women happy."

SUZANNAGIG-JIG POSTS ANOTHER STORY FOR ANOTHER LINE WAITING FOR IT

Suzanne has done it again -

she has taken another "Line Waiting for Its Story," this one about "Chas. White, Smell Poet," and given it a story, here. Check it out!

Thanks, Suzanne!

ANOTHER "LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY" GETS ITS STORY

I came home late last night

to a comment left here by Suzanne from suzannagig-jig; she said:

though my story
is shorter than
a pair of rolled up
shorts

I'm game to play:
my wee entree
posted in my blog

Yes, she has taken this "Line Waiting for Its Story" and she's given it a story, which you can read here. That's the third "Line" to get a story. Dave at via negativa has done up two of them, here and here. Thanks, Suzanne. Thanks, Dave. To the rest of you: there are four untouched "Lines" out there yet; what are you waiting for?

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY, REVISITED

For the second time now,

Dave at via negativa has hit the pitch out of the park; he turned another "Line Waiting for Its Story" into a story. The first line he took he turned into this story. I've thrown out a total of seven lines now, and Dave has taken two of them downtown. My success rate as a pitcher wouldn't be good enough to get me to the major leagues, but Dave would be there as a designated hitter batting .285. Check out his new story.

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY*

"Hum

and put your fingers in your ears," she said.

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* Thanks to Kathy Schuster, Fairwater, Wisconsin.
UPDATE: Dave at Via Negativa has completed this story! You can read it here.

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY

"How many people

live in Fairwater?" the young innocent asked the grizzled poet.

"All of them," the poet told her. "We put the dead ones in the cemetery."

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY

"What's a girl supposed to do

in a small town where there's nothing to do?" she asked. "You roll your shorts up tight and walk up and down the streets, up and down, every summer night, all night long."

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UPDATE: Suzanne at susannagig-jig has given this "Line" a story; you can read it here.

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY, REVISITED

As I usually do, I turned to Dave's Via Negativa blog this morning and - lo - what did I find? Dave has completed "a line waiting for its story" and posted it here. The line reads "She raises her knee, turns slightly towards me. There's no way I'll have this report ready for tomorrow." The story reads.... well, read the story for yourself. But let me suggest that his boss give Dave a week's paid vacation for his effort!

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY

She raises her knee,

turns slightly towards me. There's no way I'll have this report ready for tomorrow.

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UPDATE: Dave at Via Negativa has completed this story! You can read it here.

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY

He looks kind of unkempt,

he doesn't bathe much, and he always signs his name "Chas. White, Smell Poet."

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UPDATE: Suzanne at suzannagig-jig has given this "Line" its story, her second such adventure along these "Lines." You can read it here.

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY

"Money went out of the bar business,"

he said, "about the time I stopped drinking."

A LINE WAITING FOR ITS STORY

I suppose if everybody

smells like a horse, nobody notices.