To the Manor Borne

If it is the job of a writer to sometimes see and record things that make us uncomfortable, then this blog may do just that. In this often insane world filled with an endless desire to be entertained, to escape reality, to run from the truth of aging, to elect cosmetic surgery, avoid wrinkles, and as Dylan Thomas wrote, to  “… not go gently into that good night,” the saddest places in the world are assisted living and nursing homes.

Most of the residents in such places are women. Most men usually don’t live long enough to go to one. The average stay is about three years, from personal observation.

I sat in a nursing home one day years ago observing my late mother-in-law and the others around her, and I was moved to write what follows. It is not necessary to explain my motivation. It speaks for itself.

To the Manor Borne

The quiet lethargy of death

Falls soft as April snow

She sits – hand pressed to her brow

Immersed in private woe

Eyes shut against the glare of light

Lips frowning in regret

Life stolen by the many years

But she is living yet

Around the others sit at rest

Bodies in decay

Minds grasping at remembered youth

Another endless day

Warehoused within the Manor

Old women and old men

Consigned to utter uselessness

Waiting for the end

The Master stands outside the door

His hand pressed to its frame

He waits for each – one by one

To make them young again

                                                                                                                                ©1997 – Biff Price

A New Road in My Fiction

Writing a novel is one thing, but writing short stories, well, that’s something else entirely! I took up a challenge from my friend Jenn Hecker a couple of years ago and started writing short stories for Short Story Month (May). I submitted a very short story to my publisher that I had written years before while leading a writer's group at a local library.

The story is titled, Who Am I? I wrote it for the group to illustrate how a writer can use a very short space to write something powerful (and funny). Who Am I? was the beginning of what would become Priceless Words, a collection of short stories that I've written over the years, some specifically for Short Story Month.

In a novel, a writer has the space to expand his ideas. Writing short stories requires a very different ability to condense one’s thoughts—and make his ideas soar in a limited number of pages. But whatever the genre, a disciplined writer understands that it is not necessary to use several words when one will do.

I learned to write short form by writing commercials in radio broadcasting for 14 years, the last 12 years of which I worked in one of the largest markets in the U.S.  I also spent 10 years editing the work of other people in a business publication, served as editor in a magazine group for four years, wrote a weekly newspaper column for a couple years, and taught graduate students writing skills for 16 years at a university. All of this work and training taught me how to get to the point, make it, and move on. That was especially tough writing commercials, where the maximum word count in a 30-second ad is 75 words. Choosing the right word, phrase, and imagery is necessary to build a story in a brief space that will entertain the reader. 

I believe Priceless Words contains some of my best work. Huge thanks to Jenn Hecker for starting me down this road! I believe that you will truly enjoy these stories. Some of them are life-changing.

Stay tuned... Priceless Words is coming soon to your favorite bookseller!

Biff's "Favorite" Movies (In No Particular Order)

Question: What is your all-time favorite movie—one that you would not mind watching over and over again?

Biff: This is a hard question to answer. I have many “favorite” movies in different genres. If you’ll allow me, and since I cannot point to just one movie, here is my list:  

·      To Kill a Mockingbird(1962). In my view, this is one of the most powerful films about race relations and racial hatred ever made. Gregory Peck leads an extraordinary cast in what I consider to be an ultimate statement about the injustices in the American south. And Peck, one of my all-time favorite actors, has more character in his little finger than most of the collective contemporary actors of today have altogether.

·      Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981). The best hero/action movie ever made!

·      Schindler’s List(1993). We watched this in a packed theater with 400 people. When the movie ended, no one coughed, spoke, cleared their throat, or made a comment. 400 people stood up and walked silently out of the theater. It was one of the most powerful moments in my life.

·      Forrest Gump(1994): “Life is like a box of chocolates.” A ground-breaking movie for special effects.

·      The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (began 2001) All three movies. Best fantasy story in the English language!

·      The Passion of the Christ (2004) (Mel Gibson). The most powerful movie ever made about what Jesus Christ has done for mankind.

·      The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia) (2005) C.S. Lewis was, without a doubt, one of the greatest minds of the 20^th century. An atheist who became a Christian, this story is a testament to his genius.