Saturday, April 14, 2012

The All-Seeing Eye

We had a great meeting of the Writers Haven at the home of Bob and Karen Beebe last Sunday, April 1. In additon to NJ resident June Saunders, we had a contingent of three from NY: Debby Grodner, Gelo Fleisher and first-timer Josephine Hamad. The meeting started with an interesting discussion about how good writers create not just in front of their keyboards but wherever they are and whatever they are doing, whether it is doing the dishes, out for a walk, or playing with one's children. A good writer is absorbed by his/her characters, plots and settings. It is this absorption which brings them alive, sometimes to the point where they take on a life of their own and can seem to be more real than the people we are encountering in our daily lives because we are getting into and under their skins.

From there we went into a discussion of a short science fiction story Gelo presented entitled "The All-Seeing Eye" about an anthropologist who travels a zillion light-years to meet up with two scientists at a space station who are monitoring and trying to understand a cluster of "ships" that seem to be communicating with each other through colors and sounds. Unfortunately, the scientists have been couped up with each other way too long and can't seem to cooperate or agree on anything, which severely inhibits their mission. On an excursion out to the seemingly mother ship the anthropologist encounters an alien who explains the purpose of the ships as an information gathering center of everything happening in the universe. In this way they are attempting to be like God who is aware of everything (i.e., omniscient) and, so, cares about everything. In the process the anthropologist worries about his teenage son back on planet earth who has a tendency to wander city streets late at night, his thoughts transcending the vastness of space between them.

The quality of Gelo's writing and the intrigue of his topic generated a lively discussion for the rest of the meeting.

The next meeting will be held at the Saunders residence on Sunday, May 6. Tentatively Josephine has agreed to present some of her writing. I will be in touch with you before then to remind you and hopefully be able to send out some of Josephine's work as well.

In the meantime, all the best and God bless!