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PAGE 20-- ttrATEgti2trrtBqrttmtCt,r, mm Ann. Mt, 1m. Marc hum Chronicle Special As author Kent Thompson was walking along a street in Fredericton he heard the anguished voice of a middle-aged man cry out: "he never loved me, he never loved met " The cry came from a house where there was I family gatheang. _ - . Naturally, Thompson was led to speculate what prompted the angry outburst. Was the man referring to his father, brother, or son? Was the family gathering an anniversary, funeral or birthday? Gleaned from a snippit of conversation we often become the uninvited and unwilling participant in another’s life. Over the years these conversation bits in- spired Thompson to write, “Leaping Up Sliding Away" a book of interacting story segments one to four__paragraphs in length. Each mini-story Thompson recounts con- veys highly-personal senarios similar to stories we have all heard, some told directly to us, others overheard while passing. Half- truths, gossip and hints hanging in mid-air. In each, the reader is drawn into the affairs of the characters to beg for answers and get none, rather Thompson leaves it up to each reader to surmise what events led up to the situation and its outcome. The author calls these "postcard" stories. He said he purchases postcards to send, but is always in a quandary as to what to say in such a small space. A postcard is a public form of communication and entertainment, anyone can read in the course of its destination, especially the postman. Thompson said he wrote these postcard size stories "to make Call 884-3498 APPLICATION LAWN CARE BOWUNG IS A FAMILY AFFAIR. AVE YOU BEEN LATELY? was rrr" ans-2w 1IW“ no mavuw World of Books '/f Visual Arts . Ceramic: q Stained Glass . lawallary q Woodcarvinq . Quilting and many more handcrafted am and cram produced and sold by Ontario Artisans q Rafruhmontl Available . Pro. Parking postmen walk from his friend's address in wonder = and you too." Kent Thompson timt taught creative writing in 1908 at the University of New Brunswick. sineettteesttehastnstttistted2poetryeo1les- tions. 2 books of short stories, three novels (The Tenants were Corrie and Tennle. Across From the Floral Park, Shacklng Up and A Local Hanging and Other Stories). as tell " several radio plays for CBC. _ In the story, “Son-ln-Law” a mother-in-law speculates how her son-ln-law earns a living in such a short work day. '"Neatries," is about a woman who answers her phone during the night to find no one there. "Poetderosa, Farm for Sale and White Skin" are all gossipy tid-bits narrated by the silent onlooker. They smack of backwoods humor and Innuendo. “Lovely Animals, 1905. and Thé Anglais" are aristocratic fragments from another era. One of the most humorous "The Doctor's Postcard" begins, "Have I the correct ad- dress? I hope so." After a few lines of disjointed chit-chat it ends with, "Hope you are keeping well. How is Helen?" Thompson is right-on here! "Left Behind" is one of the saddest. it recounts the brief experience of a passing motorist to be first on the scene of a fatal accident. All these brief stories present fleeting impressions from the lives of countless strangers we are never quite allnweq ‘to know, with circumstances we can only attempt to decipher. Fast food has nothing on these 92 little morsels. Lend-g Up Sliding Away. Kent Thompson. Goose Lane Editions. " E9e2. At the Kitchener Farmed Market Sunday, May ard, 1987 l l :00 ask-5:00 Pan. $1.00/ponon Children 12 and under FREE if accompanied by an adult. FINE ARTS lk CRAFT SHOW ADMISSION “UM". PM.“ HAM Ski-[8‘ 3mm WATERLOO BOWLING LANES 03g . " PRINCESS ST. WEST, WATERLOO 886-2900 (sound m but Noun 886-2310 was" Allt 5 PIN BOWLERS JOIN A SPRING LEAGUE 7.1.2329 /l) ii)iilj,l:)'ii) "'s"tit)sl,sl “E jiiil Bowling begins week of May 4-ends week of July 13 WEEKLY AWARDS-FREE BANQUET AND DANCE PARKDALI MEDICAL POTTERY SALE. . Senior Citizens League 0 Family League 0 Mixed Leagues JOIN AS AN INDIVIDUAL - COUPLE on " AN ENTIRE TEAM Inventoc'y restocked for Saturday sole Hilliard Hall First United Church Comet ot King and wuuom Streets, Wafenoo Friday, May let 6 pm. - 9 pm. Saturday, May 2nd " a.m. - 4 pm. .owttrtAtrComiq6Com$ttrt "Be Part of The Fun" Surgical and Sickroom Needs