“yes, you are only one / no, it is not enough / but if you lift your eyes, i am your brother”

[larryhammer]

The cicadas have awoken in chorus, and in a few days we get thunderstorms (thanks to the scattered remnants of a hurricane passing over us). Sounds like summer.

Which means I'm thinking about Yuletide. In particular, some fandoms I am seriously considering nominating this next year:

• The Tay Bridge Disaster - William McGonagall - Tay Rail Bridge, Train, Storm Fiend, Passenger, Sensible Man


• Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra | Diamond Sutra - Gautama Buddha, Subhūti, Śūnyatā (Anthropomorphism), Anatman (Anthropomorphism)


• Faith and Practice of the Religious Society of Friends - Peace Testimony (Anthropomorphism), Simplicity Testimony (Anthropomorphism), Equality Testimony (Anthropomorphism), Truth Testimony (Anthropomorphism)

Anyone in on any of these?

Anyone have rare and obscure fandoms they're considering, that they're willing to share?

ETA: On further reflection, I think remove the Tay Rail Bridge as a nominated character. Let the prompt be the story of those affected by the catastrophic collapse of the protagonist.

---L.

Subject quote from Level Up, Vienna Teng.

Comments

[sovay]

The Tay Bridge Disaster - William McGonagall - Tay Rail Bridge, Train, Storm Fiend, Passenger, Sensible Man

Oh, my God. I don't do Yuletide, but I'd be fascinated.

[larryhammer]

I mean, if anybody writes it, it'll be an absolute train wreck. But maybe it'll be one of the GOOD kinds?

[sovay]

I mean, if anybody writes it, it'll be an absolute train wreck.

It'll have to be!

But maybe it'll be one of the GOOD kinds?

Oh, I hope. I've never seen anyone try to pastiche McGonagall. I don't even know what it would require.

[cmcmck]

Spike Milligan did it, but it's less easy than people think- just occasionally he rhymes and scans! :o)

[larryhammer]

I've tried. His level of incompetence is DAMN hard to pull off, especially combined with his distinctive voice.

[sovay]

His level of incompetence is DAMN hard to pull off, especially combined with his distinctive voice.

Have you read Peter S. Beagle's "Spook"? It's collected in We Never Talk About My Brother (2009); it's about really bad poetry at twenty paces.

[larryhammer]

Um, no! I must track this down. (We may even have that collection.)

[sovay]

Um, no! I must track this down. (We may even have that collection.)

OH MY GOD READ IT YOU WILL APPRECIATE IT.

[larryhammer]

Ah, there we go -- tracked it down legally thanks to archive.org. Good one. And Marzials is indeed a fitting topper for that sequence. I've used it in bad poetry round-robins to excellent effect.

Thanks!

[sovay]

tracked it down legally thanks to archive.org.

Excellent!

You see why I asked.

[larryhammer]

Yes. Yes, I do.

[genarti]

The Tay Bridge Disaster - William McGonagall - Tay Rail Bridge, Train, Storm Fiend, Passenger, Sensible Man

I'm just staring at this in horrified delight. What an amazing notion.

[larryhammer]

I can only hope that if anyone offers to write it, they will OWN the premise.

[genarti]

I should hope so! Its, uh, achievements deserve no less.

[sartorias]

I might read a story on the second one, if the writer really knows the subject.

[larryhammer]

That is key, yes. Given the wide net of YT, there should be at least a few people up for the challenge.