Tag: freestory

Margerumalia – Local Author Fair

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – April 18, 2025

BOOK SIGNING

Tomorrow is the Local Author Fair at the Tippecanoe County Public Library and I’ve been practicing a short reading from Chapter 6 of MAMLA. It’s the part where Maria and her mom take an elevator up to the clouds and have quite the ride getting there!

I wrote in my January Margerumalia about a resolution to retrain myself to speak with the kind of clarity I’d developed as an actor, and I’m just a little nervous in spite of daily practice. I know I’ll be my own worst critic, but it’s because I used to be able to do this so easily.

I have a remarkable confidence about getting up before a group of people, and I’m continually surprised now when I stumble over my words. The words that I can hear so clearly in my head.

Please keep me in mind and send me good vibes so I can give my listeners an entertaining piece of the story.

If you’re nearby, the Local Author Fair is April 19th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. I’ll be signing books, and giving away mazes and bookmarks. There ought to be many more interesting authors to meet and greet as well.

SOPHOMORE EFFORT

As a freshman in college everything is new, everyone seems to know so much, and it’s all you can do to find your place in the scheme of things. 

Returning as a sophomore you now know how all the pieces fit together, and you laugh with superiority at the foolish freshmen who are so hopelessly lost. 

By the time you hit your stride in your junior year, you’re working hard and have more than a little compassion for the new class of hapless frosh. 

Senior year brings the stunning reality that you’ll soon be leaving this safe haven, and have to earn a living in the big bad world. 

I’m reminded of this quotation of Dōgen, the 13th Century father of Zen Buddhism: 

“Before one studies Zen, mountains are mountains and waters are waters; after a first glimpse into the truth of Zen, mountains are no longer mountains and waters are no longer waters; after enlightenment, mountains are once again mountains and waters once again waters.”

In writing The Most Amazing Museum of Chicago, I’m suddenly aware of my sophomore effort. I want the sequel to be able to stand alone, but also bear a resemblance to the first book. I thought I knew how to proceed. “Hey, I’ve done this once already!” But now I’m starting to realize how much I don’t know about how I did it the first time. 

The mountains and the waters are so much more than merely mountains and waters. I’m on a journey to see them once more as just mountains and waters. 

My acting teacher used to remind me, “Anything can happen.” If I take that Zen-like approach without the loaded expectations, I can still forge ahead.

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Margerumalia – Winter at the Wellness Center

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – February 21, 2025

PHOTO: I took this photo at the Wellness Center on a cold January morning. The flags were still at half mast commemorating Jimmy Carter. The sun was trying its best to squeeze some light between the clouds, giving a feckless mood to the day.

BOOK NEWS: I was able to add The Best 10-Minute Plays 2024 to my author page on Amazon. Once they understood that there were, in fact, fifty authors (playwrights) featured in this volume, and that I was one of them, they promptly added this title to my name. Sometimes all you have to do is ask!

As I wrote before, I get nothing when this book is sold, but I do hold performance rights for my play. When I was a theatre professor at Carthage College I bought several such collections as a resource for my annual one-act play festival, faithfully paying for the rights to mount many short plays over seven years. Hopefully someone will want to send me money to perform “Just Book Club.”

WINTER AT THE WELLNESS CENTER

I’m doing a lot of indoor walking these days when the mornings are staying below 25 F (-3.89 C) striding around a three-lane oval that overlooks three basketball courts. It’s far less interesting than my daily hike through the woods, so I began creating labels for the other people I’m passing or getting passed by. 

The Thockers – These are the people playing pickleball—THOCK—in the first basketball court—THOCK, THOCK—below me. They come in all varieties—THOCK—but their paddles sure do make a noise when they hit that pickle. THOCK!

The Scofflaw – Meanwhile, above the Thockers, the sign for the oval track clearly labels the three lanes: inside lane for walkers, middle lane for joggers, outside lane for runners. The Scofflaw doesn’t give a damn about the rules and intentionally crosses lanes to suit his own impulses.

The Enforcer – This guy is running on the outside lane and comes up behind people to startle them with his shout, “Behind you!” Or to instruct them on the rules, “Walkers on the inside lane!” He may be getting an adrenaline rush from these righteous announcements, because he seems to run faster afterwards.

The Woo Girl – The third basketball court is mostly devoted to aerobics classes. The Woo Girl turns the music up to nine and sets her head mic at eleven, shouting out instructions and adding a “WOO” in her best soprano, cutting through the malaise of the morning like a pair of scissors in the hands of a running child.

The Zigzagger – Like The Enforcer, The Zigzagger is a serious athlete who runs with purpose. Unlike The Enforcer, he doesn’t worry about the locations of others on the track, he cuts between groups and around individuals with a dancer’s grace that would be the envy of any parkour competitor. 

The Reader – With a phone held in front of her, The Reader is a multitasker who walks AND reduces the size of her TBR pile at the same time. She gets very little exercise due to her slow pace, but at least she’s not doing it while driving. (I really hope she’s not!)

The BFF’s – It’s so nice that the Wellness Center provides a place for these middle-aged ladies to walk side-by-side or three abreast and discuss the state of the world, their families, and their grandchildren… “Oh, did I show you a picture? He’s the cutest thing! Just let me find it…!” The Enforcer began his vigilante ways after encountering too many BFF’s.

The Bro Crew – This is a pack of 30-somethings are desperately trying to outrun forty. With their glory days of team sports in the rearview mirror, the fraternal order of young professionals joke and jostle around the track, zigzagging as needed, and performing the occasional straightaway sprint to show they still can.

The Wild Child – One of the Bro Crew’s little girl who enjoyed the first time around the oval but soon grew weary of the tedium of it all. She’s camped out with her collection of stuffed animals at one of the rest stops, dashing out to tag daddy when her attention meter gets low. She’s a natural actor, speaking the dialogue of all her animals with all the enthusiasm of a true creative. Sign that kid up!

Grandpa Fred – He’s doing a very good job of keeping up the pace in spite of his age and he follows the rules like any good Boomer, but he has a weakness. No, not his belt which he keeps pulling tighter around his jeans and flannel shirt, his weakness is companionship. He’ll turn on anyone coming up behind him to mention the cold weather or say how noisy it is in there. Grandpa Fred is a good guy but doesn’t seem to have good timing. Once in a while someone will slow down and talk with him before moving on. That’s all he wants.

Strider – This is me. I can’t see myself as others see me so I visualize my upright posture, lengthen my stride, and imagine I’m on an adventurous trek around this labyrinth of humanity. I use the middle lane—because I’m a middle child—walk at a pace just short of a jog, and keep my eyes on the road because “The Road goes ever on and on…” (J.R.R. Tolkien)  

TTFN 

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Margerumalia – Homing The Last Two Kittens

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – November 22, 2024

This is a photo of the last two kittens the day before we captured them off the back deck. They are Trisha (calico) and the OOC (Other Orange Cat). The temperatures fell, as did the rain, just after their rescue and we’re pleased they’re living together in a warm, dry home with a man who really cares about them. 

We used a humane trap this time and the only scratches I suffered were the result of transferring Trish from one cat carrier to the other. She was scared to death and escaped my grip like a cat outta hell, running around our little downstairs bathroom, spraying food, water, and cat litter everywhere. I already had my tetanus shot from the previous rescue and hadn’t completed my prescription of antibiotics so I was safe, if somewhat bruised and bloodied…again. 

The capture of the kittens was a bit of a comedy of errors. Trish got trapped right away. We knew when we heard her scream in fright, but the OOC was a different story. The humane cages, if you’re not familiar with them, have a spring loaded door that snaps shut when the animal steps on the metal plate at the end where the food is. First the OOC walked around to investigate the food from the outside, trying to reach it with his paw. We watched from the window quietly urging him to enter the cage from the other side. When he finally did walk in to eat, he accidentally wedged the little food bowl under the metal plate preventing it from triggering the door. He ate his fill as we despaired of capturing him at all. Suddenly the bowl moved and the door slammed shut. We did it!

They huddled together in our cat carrier while I texted my friend about coming to get them. He rushed out to buy supplies and arrived in a couple of hours.

Today, the report from their adoptive human is that they’re slowly warming up to him and the OOC is letting himself be petted. Trish is more standoffish just as she was on our back deck. I’ve heard the psychology of animals and humans says that adaptive behavior can be learned even by watching another’s progress. I expect she’ll come around.

Unless we capture their mother, Tabitha, I won’t be sharing more wild cat stories. She really needs to be spayed to prevent more pregnancies. Tabby won’t thank us for the experience, but it’s what she needs. We’ll also need to find a larger cage! The humane trap we have is too small for her.

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – Morel, Morsel, Moral, Moray

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – November 8, 2024

[Photo Credit: www.out-grow.com]

Morel, Morsel, Moral, Moray 

A morel is a mushroom to enjoy in tasty bits.

A morsel is a tasty bit to eat in starts and fits.  

A moral is a lesson learned by dropping morel morsels.

A moray is a toxic eel that’s lacking fins or dorsals.

FACT CHECK: Some moray eels are not toxic and are considered a delicacy. In fact, they taste like chicken. Seriously. I read that on the internet. And we all know that’s a reliable source!

A crossword puzzle set me on the path of writing this little ditty. I had a five letter word to complete that started with M-O-R and I started riffing on possibilities in the margins of the newspaper. (Yes, I still get a paper newspaper, don’t judge.) From those M-O-R words I developed the little poem above. 

If you liked that one, you can check out my April 19 newsletter featuring an equally scintillating composition called “Caret, Carat, Carrot.” (All of my previous newsletters are on my website at ericmargerum.com under POSTS. You can search by the poem title or the date.)

Maybe if I write enough erudite poesy, I can gather them into a famous anthology of verses. And you’ll be able to say, “I was reading him long before this publication hit the best seller list!” People will be so impressed! 

You know what else is impressive? The website where I found the beautiful morel photo. [www.out-grow.com] This is not a paid advertisement, I don’t even like mushrooms, but if I did, this website looks pretty thorough and has plenty of advice on growing your own mushrooms. Just saying. 

Catch ya next week. TTFN! 

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.