Repair Man

Absolutely see why the piece was reprinted, Kathy. And will be again, hopefully, in your collection.

I connect this with "Foreign Film". Not in voice, but undercurrent - Maybe that's it. At any rate, good pacing here and controlled imagery.

Kathy, what can I say? As usual, your writing astounds me. I really like this piece...but I think I need another read to fully get it all. *

OK, how do you do what you do? This is magnificent and touches my zen parts like his...ahem.
Kathy such a beautiful story!

Kathy, this piece is utterly amazing in its bridled way, at once fanciful and gritty and tender. exponential fav

Man...thank you so much for these wonderful comments Sam, Susan, Jules and James!

Reading this is like being inside the dream. Surreal and yet also painfully real.*

"He knows that someday Mattie will take to calling him Handsome Mole. That her skin will never wrinkle"

this is a wonderful piece. Love the details as always and the hair falling over his eyes. wow.

Thanks for the nice words, Jane & Meg!

Even in lovemaking he "works" her. Wow.
I like the surrealism of this piece even though, as Jules Archer said, I don't fully get it all. I wanted to know how he recalls he once was old.

A compressed characterization, amazingly compressed. How you accomplished this, I'm not sure, but I heard squeaking brakes and saw skin without wrinkles and felt winter on my face. -- * Q

Gita, thanks. He is clairvoyant.

Quenby, you expressed this so beautifully! Thank you.

I'm such a fan of your work, Kathy. This is simply brilliant - *!

argh, my internet keeps dropping out this weekend, so I hope this goes through...thanks so much, Marcelle! the feeling is mutual!

An incredible piece, Kathy! Love Mattie's gestures, the milk, the highlighter, the heartbreaking rhythm of "walking past the subway to church."

Sara, you are so generous & supportive. Thanks so much for these kind words

Beautiful with a Benjamin Button flavor. Nicely done, Kathy. *

Imaginative writing. I experienced an unusually graphic, otherworldly impression while reading, especially from the first and last paragraphs, but also throughout.

'He'll say, Mattie I'm frightened, but she won't coo to him. And he will die alone on an ice morning, walking past the subway to church.'

Powerful ending, its sadness amplified by the foreseeing.

I love the way you tell this story, Kathy. And I really loved the way you ended it. *

Stunning. LOVED this piece. Super controlled imagery, pacing, the slightly skewed reality that feels perfectly true and feasible; catching expressively, for me, the oddities of the way the world actually works if we truly listen to it.

So much great phrasing here. A * of course!

Oh wow, thank you so much, Kim, JMC, Foster, and Cherise, for your kind words and faves for this story. Really appreciate it!

Kathy, this is amazing. The voice, details, and concept are so well done. The end result is something beautiful and powerful.

Christian, wow, thanks so much.

I love the turn this takes. What a powerful ending, Kathy!

Thanks, Bill!

phenomenal. *

Oh, thanks so much Jen!

Kathy, this rocks like little I've read- Anybody's, ever. So freaking good. Big big fav.

Hey, thank you kind sir! Appreciate it, Mark.

Super, Kathy! :) Nice to read you this morning too! xo

love that third paragraph, brilliant! Really nice language throughout.

Kathy, so great! Love the way he wants to work her, and work things as if he could somehow control or change what he knows. Carrying her books as if something that used to work would work again, a very sad action that demonstrates love. Best, Richard

Heather, Shelagh, Richard, thanks so much! Glad you liked this.

So original and evocative. Lovely work.

Thanks, Isabell!

Nice one.

Appreciate the read, Matthew.

Didn't Joan Jett sing about the repair man? Or was that her handy man? Good job, k-fish.

Did she? I'll have to go look for that. Thanks, j-young.

I remain in awe of your boundless capacity for invention. Love this. *

Thanks, Julie Innis!

Wow, Kathy.

Oh, Beate, thank you so much.

yes to this piece. right between the eyes of my inner repair man, if i may say so. and mattie: most powerful side character ever. amazing writing here.

Thanks so much, Marcus!

i read this twice. it's as great as everyone says.

Aw, thanks Len!

Amazing!!! So well written. I felt like I was inside a foreign film when reading it.
The opening line-Wow!
Loved the ending. Just brilliant writing.
Congratulations on this.
Faved it Kathy

This is awesome. I'm always so late to the party. As always, Kathy, really enjoyable.

Oh man, thanks so much for this, Gloria! I really appreciate it.

Thank you so much, Chris!

I think he will be with Mattie forever.
great piece

Estelle, you are lovely. I think so too. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Love the surreal depths of this, the pre-keening and the love.

Wow!

Thank you, Terry!

Kathy, this is so perfectly paced, so vivid in character, and with that light touch of magical realism that I love in your work. Amazing piece.

Susan, thank you so much!

Industrial strength great! *

haha, I like that comment, Frank...thanks!

Compact chilliness. Cool story.

Absolutely fascinating. You are such an original storyteller -- I can picture you sitting on a Rocky mountainside, whittling on a stick. Thanks for a story we can read and reread; may I borrow your yellow highlighter?

(Wife Saver Laundromat -- ha!)

Thanks much, Jon!

And thanks to you too, Ramon. How did you know I was a whittler? ;-)

Kathy,
I really liked the way you used the "future" in this as either a kind of a psychic power or a bad dream. I also loved the "mole" and the wifesaver laundry, for me it was like mixing Edward Hopper with R. Crumb somehwo.

Marko, oh man, a mix of Hopper and R. Crumb, for me, is a tremendous compliment. Thank you very much!

Each paragraph is its own story. I love what you've said, what you haven't, & where it took me.

Parker, hi! And thanks so much!

Just came across this wonderful review of Repair Man here (scroll down): http://thethingstheyread.wordpress.com/

Thanks for that, Julie!

thanks, all, for the wonderful response to this story...I've been plagued with migraines lately and trying to spend less time on the computer so I'm not going to be around much for awhile...take care and thanks again!

Wonderful. Love this. Hope migraines banished soon.

Diane, thank you very much!

What an amazing story in so few words. NEW. I'm stuck on 150 of a new novel. What a pleasure it would be to be able to turn out something so powerful on in 259 words.

Thank you very kindly, Ginnah. That is a high compliment for a flash writer. I wish I could write a novel!

So poignant and original. Beautiful writing! *

Aren't you kind! Thanks so much, Kathy!

Meg, thanks so much for hanging another star on this story. I appreciate it.

Wow! Dreamy, surreal, evocative. Killer last line!

Thanks, again, Michael! You're making my day. : )

This is completely amazing. Supernatural. Fave. You are a miracle and a wonder, Kathy.

And here you are again...thanks, Sally, I really appreciate the super nice comment and fave for this one.