The serious writer has never measured the length of his penis. He didn't see the need because he knew its size and form depended entirely on the woman. In mid-life, he had accepted the estimation of one's genitals as a creative endeavour rather than a mathematical exercise.
“You're huge”, A. said after she had unbuttoned him.
“Oh”, he said, uncharacteristically short in his reply but with a world of pleasant associations rushing to his head like a horde of wild buffalo to a water hole.
“But not too huge”, she added a little later once they'd found a mutually convenient position for their wordless play. The serious writer always remembered her as a devout, objective reader of his work.
“Don't show it to me”, said B., the horticulturist, and reached across his chest uncomfortably to switch off the small bedside Tiffany lamp, “or I won't be able to forget it.”
“Why should you want to forget it?”, asked the serious writer.
“Because I don't want to compare it”, she said. He saw her point, though he always found it hard to orient himself in the dark. The serious writer imagined B. was thinking of a large, luscious, potentially dangerous jungle plant when touching his knob.
C., a fellow writer, looked at the serious writer's penis for a long time before she carefully took it between index finger and thumb and shook it a little as if to see whether it would come to life.
“It seems a little small”, she said. The serious writer sighed, loudly, and said nothing.
“But I'm sure it'll do”, she said. Among peers, C. was known for her delicacy, which permeated all her writing. Much later, the serious writer paid her back using these same words in a very long, altogether positive, critical review of her novel.
“Only strong personalities can endure such size, the weak ones are extinguished by it”, said D., a red head with an imposing chest, eyeing his cock. The serious writer, his past fogged by reckless existentialist thought, recognised the Nietzschean rudiment and smiled knowingly.
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The original “Serious Writer” piece that spun off a storm of imitations. Motivated by Gary Percesepe.
Published in Metazen (later "Best Of" — with an author's commentary and the reviews by Sheldon Lee Compton and Katrina Gray). One of many "Serious Writer" pieces written since October 2009.
My reading of this piece is here among many other podcasts.
[Update: FF was a pseudonym of Marcus Speh. This piece is part of his collection of short fiction forthcoming from MadHat Press, "Thank You For Your Sperm".]
This story has no tags.
Excellent.
hey, don't blame me for this one!
seriously, though--
this is seriously funny, and a great read.
the serious writer, drawing on neitzsche once again, might be tempted to add, in a substitution that is a "stroke" of genius, rather than ear,to say,
"am i a penis, and nothing else besides?"
FF--
That's funny/smart. Wish it had been longer.
(Wait. That didn't sound right...)
A fine work, Finnegan. I like the tone. Good piece.
Great read, Finnegan. I might just print this and keep it in my back pocket.
Loved this,Finn! You constantly make a believer out of me. Keep it up (pun intended).
thanks for the generous read, ann & guys - i'm feeling a little depleted now.
"God humour, the serious writer thought, is the strongest aphrodisiac." Couldn't agree more. That's why your piece (so to speak) has made me so happy.
Hey, I thought this was supposed to be all fiction...
...but then again...
Well done, friend.
I wonder if this challenge was how that other famous poem was written, "There once was a man from Nantucket..."
(Your tags read like sumptin' one of them young poets might write...)
gosh. I really enjoyed reading this. I hope that doesn't mean anything awful about me. It may. Anyway, it was a fun fun read and well written.
This exceeded my expectations.
Oh, God! I adore this! I want an anthology of your Serious Writer series. But I'm wondering when the Serious Writer has time to actually write....He lives such an interesting life.
I love the last paragraph.
i just realized the tags alone are a story.
thanks so much, all of you, i'm dying here with joy all over my pants!
@meg: adding a 'nietzsche' tag would destroy the story in a story, would it not. too dirty.
Hilarious, FF. Superbly described.
Brilliant!
Hilarious!
Nothing swimgs this man's own balls and chain like a good cock story:
Humor, wit, philosophy (good ol' uncle Freddie in tow), and a panel of knowing knob admirers was the deciding factor towards which way I swung and hung....
But in the end, the serious writer must be able to appreciate what a good cock, and what a good pussy does to the individual's overall demeanor.....
And who says 'sex' in literature has went the way of the softheaded modern day writer..? Perish such thoughts and thinkings. Thank Finnegan. You have (as always..) made my shadows (and all else..) take attention. Thank you for showing us yours. May we all be able to someday show you ours...
Without flaw, Flawnt. Though it pains me a little to admit it.
Kudos, sir.
thanks hazar - i like the manly attitude (as always). and thanks booger: now i know where you feel that pain. with your ass piece, you gave new meaning to the word hindsight.
perfect.
the young poet stands mesmerized. ;)
thanks, doro. what i don't get is why anybody thinks this is satire.
Cock of the walk to be sure!
thanks, michael - "He begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock."
Loved it!
Long after the fire goes out, I'll laugh at the registered mark: ®
alright, can we all get back to work now, please
lol
gary, i must agree with you. the longer this goes on the more i feel sorry for the serious writer whose story has not received a proper critical, aesthetic reading though he was written in earnest, not as a joke. funny, yes, but not flimsy.
oh no, i know. i feel so guilty! seriously!
oh, don't feel guilty - the issue obviously had a life of its own and stimulated everybody's imagination - that's the life blood of writing.
I think you're right on that point, Finn--everyone has been very stimulated by this story. Myself included.
i'm glad to hear that, john, thanks for stopping by.
Is "The Serious Writer and His Penis" an orginary act, and "The Serious Writer and Her Pussy" a derivative one?
Thus accounting, if so, for a discrepancy in star status the order of creation received?
Barrett Watten for the use of "originary."
yes, ann, the "penis" is the 'originary' one as you put it and the 'pussy' is a derivative. i've developed the 'serious writer' for a while (he's part of a new novel). this story came about because gary posted a link to the fate of the man with the world's largest penis, so size became my entry point. men, as you well know, are more concerned with size and less with naming issues.
of course, the stories aren't about the same thing at all: 'pussy' is about saying it out loud (relationship with yourself), while 'penis' is about something entirely different...existential issues and relationship between the sexes etc.
the star status? heck, i'm happy about any star, who's counting. usually, the story that appeals more, gets more.
your argument would require for other derivatives to get even higher ratings, which did not happen (perhaps indicative for the importance of sexual dichotomy?)
ps. and of course this story is also about the role of humor in sex, by way of the last line. but without that last line, it wouldn't turn back on itself, which, in my reading of sexual relationships, it must to be useful for literary production (as opposed to pornographic description or slapstick).
Finnegan, splendid reply (above) to my question about "Penis" as originary and "Pussy" as derivative.
You also write:
"the star status? heck, i'm happy about any star, who's counting. usually, the story that appeals more, gets more.
"your argument would require for other derivatives to get even higher ratings, which did not happen (perhaps indicative for the importance of sexual dichotomy?)"
You're right.
Bravo! Well done. Needed a laugh and be it brief, you provided. *tongue in cheek*
Hello! Love this whole series! Thanks for the excellent read(s).
thanks for checking out the serious writer. i respond to his occasional complaints about having become a serial character by promising to elevate him to MC in a novel all his own.
The first story of yours I have checked out and I was drawn, I admit, to the title. A title with a registration mark and the word "penis" has to be fun, and this definitely was. My favorite, C's reaction to it, and his return reaction.
thank you cherise!
Strangely, I was thinking of this story just a few days ago, when up popped "The SW and his Mother" story, with the link to this one. I don't know how I missed this first time around. But better late than never, right?
*
Finally getting to this. Seriously funny. *
Very funny and insightful.