No need to change anything. I don't really use Substack to write. Glad I made your day. You seem to go so effortlessly from Art to Politics to Criticism. I'm in awe. (Now, no more mutual back-patting. My head's getting big.)
Wow. You have integrated fantasy and the real world seamlessly and cleverly. I don't want to sound too fawning, but your range, your erudition, and the elegance of your writing are amazing. Please keep enlightening us. With your help, we may continue to develop the ears of Understanding.
That’s mighty generous praise coming from an educator. And I truly appreciate it, Super Mrs. C. I’m so glad you liked this story. I really enjoyed writing it. Thanks so much for reading it and sharing your encouraging response.
Yes, you're showing up on Substack as "Supermrsc," so I figured you are the same person I've already met on Medium. If you want to change your Substack handle, I'll see if I can find some information for you.
But I have to say, you just made my day. When I was just learning to write, I heard Lillian Hellman refer to her longtime companion Dashiel Hammett as a Renaissance Man, which she described like this: "Someone who wants to know how fast a bird flies, how deep is the ocean, what makes Iago evil."
I was 25 at the time, and I said to myself--that's what I want to be. It's not the kind of thing you can call yourself. It has to come from someone else. So to have someone with your knowledge and background offer such an accolade--well, it means the world. Thank you very much.
Since one wants to be a lifelong learner, let's just say I'm still reaching for that long-ago aspiration. I can tell from your encouragement that you must have been quite the inspiring teacher.
“After Little Boy destroyed Hiroshima, Japan was given three days to surrender or face the bombing of another city. Unfortunately, Emperor Hirohito refused, and the Allies destroyed Nagasaki, as promised.”
As the daughter of a U.S. Air Force navigator in the Pacific campaign of WWII, I knew that Hirohito had refused to surrender -even with the threat of another bomb. Years later, my father told me how the end of the war played out when I came across pictures of the Nagasaki victims in one of the anniversary editions of Life magazine. I wondered how he could do that - be a part of that cruelty and destruction. He answered all my questions. He and some others in his squadron were not unfeeling about the decisions made by the higher-ups. They didn’t celebrate the bombing, but rather the end of that terrible war. He told me he sometimes had nightmares about it. I hope remembering the horror of those bombs can serve as a cautionary tale as we continue to get involved in these seemingly endless wars. We can only hope.
So true. Most do not want to.either listen or understand. I usually read your work to myself but this is a piece that benefits from your voice and I loved closing my eyes and getting lost in the story.
It's so gratifying to hear that. Funny thing is, I'd been wondering lately if I should give up narrating these. It's easier and faster to read than to listen. But I have been making a conscious effort to shift from "podcaster voice" to the more natural storyteller style I enjoy while listening to audiobooks. Thanks so much for listening to this one and providing this very helpful and encouraging feedback.
Very clever way to take Barbenheimer a step further with “real world” Barbie airing her criticism of the movie (Oppenheimer) during a press conference. I see what you did there: It seems the reporters can’t get past the fact that Barbie is a beautiful woman known for her figure, fashions and accessories. They don’t seem to be listening to her - taking her seriously. So you managed to cover a lot of serious topics (fallout of war & sexism to name 2) in a very entertaining way. Great links, too!
Thanks for sharing your reaction. I'm glad you found it entertaining. The bomb raises many questions that are easier to avoid than ponder. And yet, it is one of the most serious existential issues facing our time. Since most of us don't like to think about all that, I thought Barbie might be able to lend a hand. In this story, she's like Cassandra from Greek mythology, who tried to warn the Trojans of their impending doom, only to be ignored. When I considered that similarity, it took me to the invisibility issues women have always faced. As with Rebecca in Ted Lasso, most men can't stop staring at her breasts long enough to hear what she's actually saying.
Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to this story. I really appreciate it.
No need to change anything. I don't really use Substack to write. Glad I made your day. You seem to go so effortlessly from Art to Politics to Criticism. I'm in awe. (Now, no more mutual back-patting. My head's getting big.)
Wow. You have integrated fantasy and the real world seamlessly and cleverly. I don't want to sound too fawning, but your range, your erudition, and the elegance of your writing are amazing. Please keep enlightening us. With your help, we may continue to develop the ears of Understanding.
That’s mighty generous praise coming from an educator. And I truly appreciate it, Super Mrs. C. I’m so glad you liked this story. I really enjoyed writing it. Thanks so much for reading it and sharing your encouraging response.
Wait a minute! Am I Super Mrs. C. on Substack as well as Medium? I didn't know that. I only told the truth. You're a Renaissance Man.
Yes, you're showing up on Substack as "Supermrsc," so I figured you are the same person I've already met on Medium. If you want to change your Substack handle, I'll see if I can find some information for you.
But I have to say, you just made my day. When I was just learning to write, I heard Lillian Hellman refer to her longtime companion Dashiel Hammett as a Renaissance Man, which she described like this: "Someone who wants to know how fast a bird flies, how deep is the ocean, what makes Iago evil."
I was 25 at the time, and I said to myself--that's what I want to be. It's not the kind of thing you can call yourself. It has to come from someone else. So to have someone with your knowledge and background offer such an accolade--well, it means the world. Thank you very much.
Since one wants to be a lifelong learner, let's just say I'm still reaching for that long-ago aspiration. I can tell from your encouragement that you must have been quite the inspiring teacher.
Fascinating on so many levels. Thanks again
Thanks for taking the time to read and share your thoughts. Much appreciated!
“After Little Boy destroyed Hiroshima, Japan was given three days to surrender or face the bombing of another city. Unfortunately, Emperor Hirohito refused, and the Allies destroyed Nagasaki, as promised.”
As the daughter of a U.S. Air Force navigator in the Pacific campaign of WWII, I knew that Hirohito had refused to surrender -even with the threat of another bomb. Years later, my father told me how the end of the war played out when I came across pictures of the Nagasaki victims in one of the anniversary editions of Life magazine. I wondered how he could do that - be a part of that cruelty and destruction. He answered all my questions. He and some others in his squadron were not unfeeling about the decisions made by the higher-ups. They didn’t celebrate the bombing, but rather the end of that terrible war. He told me he sometimes had nightmares about it. I hope remembering the horror of those bombs can serve as a cautionary tale as we continue to get involved in these seemingly endless wars. We can only hope.
So true. Most do not want to.either listen or understand. I usually read your work to myself but this is a piece that benefits from your voice and I loved closing my eyes and getting lost in the story.
It's so gratifying to hear that. Funny thing is, I'd been wondering lately if I should give up narrating these. It's easier and faster to read than to listen. But I have been making a conscious effort to shift from "podcaster voice" to the more natural storyteller style I enjoy while listening to audiobooks. Thanks so much for listening to this one and providing this very helpful and encouraging feedback.
Very clever way to take Barbenheimer a step further with “real world” Barbie airing her criticism of the movie (Oppenheimer) during a press conference. I see what you did there: It seems the reporters can’t get past the fact that Barbie is a beautiful woman known for her figure, fashions and accessories. They don’t seem to be listening to her - taking her seriously. So you managed to cover a lot of serious topics (fallout of war & sexism to name 2) in a very entertaining way. Great links, too!
Thanks for sharing your reaction. I'm glad you found it entertaining. The bomb raises many questions that are easier to avoid than ponder. And yet, it is one of the most serious existential issues facing our time. Since most of us don't like to think about all that, I thought Barbie might be able to lend a hand. In this story, she's like Cassandra from Greek mythology, who tried to warn the Trojans of their impending doom, only to be ignored. When I considered that similarity, it took me to the invisibility issues women have always faced. As with Rebecca in Ted Lasso, most men can't stop staring at her breasts long enough to hear what she's actually saying.
Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to this story. I really appreciate it.