Reflecting on the Grist… the inspiration and the process

When I returned to college to complete my BA, I was an older student… in fact, my older son’s classmates were in my classes.  So, I felt a bit out of place in the creative writing class, because everyone was writing about first love, while I was concerned about other life issues.  So, I was working out a storyline about first love to “fit in.”  I remember standing on the balcony peering into the central courtyard where plants and trees grew tall and thick and chatting with Alexei.  I had known Alexei since he was in preschool with my sons and then through high school days.  He said if he had to read another story about first love he was going to jump over the railing.  I know he was just kidding, but in my mind I thought, well, I don’t want that to happen.  And so “Reunion” was born.

I drew inspiration from many people for this story.  Alexandra’s name honors Alexei who inspired me to find a broader topic to write about, and my friend Alexis, who beat breast cancer.  My “Lanikai pals” from high school have been supportive of each other through life’s many twists and turns, but I wondered what if a childhood friend refused to love and unconditionally accept a friend’s choices.  I also drew inspiration from Paul, a man permanently injured in a car accident when he was in college, now wheelchair bound; I was impressed with his confidence and sheer sexiness.  My many gay and lesbian friends have inspired me with their courage and commitment, and I will always appreciate being invited to a wonderful wedding celebration in Seattle where family and friends lifted the brides up in love.  

In terms of place.  I intentionally located Michael and Alex’s home in town, a contrast from Rachael and Chris’s home in Punalu‘u, my home.  My description of Rachael and Chris’s haven is basically wishful dreaming that my own home could be such a place.  

There has been much written about the New York heroes of 9/11, but I wondered what if someone refused the call to enter the towers… what then?  Not everyone responds in a heroic manner when faced with challenging situations.  Tim’s enlistment is his way to atone for his sin of inaction–inaction from shock, cowardice, fear, or premonition.  

Regarding misdiagnosis issues.  Yes, it happens.  Unfortunately.  And, so I wanted to explore this a bit… Alex is unhinged from the news and still dealing with it.  

Alex’s obsession with Patrick deals with how the loss of a first love can affect the survivor.  In one of the many versions of this story, Alex and Patrick are making love when his younger brother dies from an accidental gunshot wound.  Patrick, feeling guilty, turns the gun on himself, shooting himself in the heart.  Alex believes her false-positive breast cancer diagnosis is karma for making love with Patrick when they were tasked to babysit his brother.  Too dramatic?  Some readers thought so.

It is written in first person, Alex’s point of view.  It would be interesting to explore the story from Tim’s point of view.  He comes across as so confident, but there’s a very vulnerable side to him that would be interesting to hear.

It’s written in present tense, unless Alex is journaling, and then it’s in past tense.  

This was workshopped in ENG 413 or 414 in Ian MacMillan’s class and again in my writing group under Ian’s mentorship.  It was also workshopped in Achy Obejas graduate class and was included in my MA thesis, The Grace of Dark Times.  

I have often thought about expanding it into a screenplay…