tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545719956532802916.post4031750275456486102..comments2024-01-23T11:46:17.066-05:00Comments on Short Story Reader: On "The Last Call" by R. A. Keenan (4593 words) ***Short Story Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01472245801977188118noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545719956532802916.post-47134955163419419482012-05-27T21:13:49.803-04:002012-05-27T21:13:49.803-04:00Great to hear the story behind the story . . .Great to hear the story behind the story . . .Short Story Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01472245801977188118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545719956532802916.post-67193787101810297232012-05-27T08:13:52.022-04:002012-05-27T08:13:52.022-04:00Hello SSR & Cheryl,
Thanks folks for your com...Hello SSR & Cheryl,<br /><br />Thanks folks for your comments regarding my tale of a reluctant Grim Reaper.<br /><br />I love Bradbury and feel a bit embarrassed that the 'Scythe" and "Last Call" share a similar theme. "Great minds (not so great in my case) think alike?<br /><br />The tale first popped into my mind as a strange telephone call gone wrong though not necessarily from the direct source of the threat itself but from the unaware victims to be gathered, which struck me as an interesting twist. <br /><br />I intended poor René initially to be a sort of condemned witness to the gathering of souls, and not the "gatherer" or Grim Reaper him/her/itself. <br /><br />The first draft was not spooky enough but it did set the scenes, the relationship between René and Barbara, his wife, etc. His unwillingly inheriting the job, hit me after the first draft.<br /><br />A bit of rewriting here and there and...Voila!<br /><br />BTW, my real-life model for René was Leonard Lopate of WNYC, one of Public Radio's most erudite talk show hosts. I'm a big fan of his wit and perspective and enjoy the wide range of talented people he interviews.<br /><br />I've other published short stories, as well, if you'd like to read more of my work, much of it urban fantasy/horror or Magical Realism, some of the stories non-fiction. Just drop by:<br /><br />RAKeenan.com<br /><br />Slainte,<br /><br />Bob KeenanR. A. Keenanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00614888800993145239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545719956532802916.post-16131426033048111732012-03-04T16:55:16.792-05:002012-03-04T16:55:16.792-05:00Thank you, too, for sharing this story. I always l...Thank you, too, for sharing this story. I always like to read stories based on a theme, to kind of compare and contrast.Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06230080663569692798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545719956532802916.post-87124267082111486232012-03-03T18:55:26.313-05:002012-03-03T18:55:26.313-05:00Obviously, Bradbury's story is not one I was f...Obviously, Bradbury's story is not one I was familiar with. Thanks for sharing.Short Story Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01472245801977188118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545719956532802916.post-48128690916364661602012-03-02T16:48:02.704-05:002012-03-02T16:48:02.704-05:00Not so unique. Ray Bradbury's "The Scythe...Not so unique. Ray Bradbury's "The Scythe" is basically the same story, written decades earlier.<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scythe_(short_story)Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06230080663569692798noreply@blogger.com