Monday, May 11, 2009

Kelly Dougher #4-- Coming Home

Coming home, everything was the way she left it. The way his bottom lip hid the spice of Chinese takeout and the way her shirt and jeans still held the bitter smell of the cigarette smoke and the softer, sweeter scent of his hair. The way the dimmed hallway light seeped through her cracked bedroom door at night: blurry charcoal lines warm and silent on the dark walls. The way her sister let her laugh roll out and come quick with complete abandon, the way the old records would whisper noisily under the needle to gather their song before they go, the way her reflection in the kitchen window still held the same expression as when she left. Coming home, everything was the way it had always been, and everything was new.



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Friday, May 8, 2009

Joshua Kirby #19 - The Cars And Sun

The water in his cup shook like in that movie with the dinosaurs. He knew there wasn't a tyrannosaurus rex anywhere in the area, though it would be more fun than the nearby highway. At least the dinosaur would go away eventually. The highway just keeps him up at night. When the sun goes down at a certain time of the year, and a truck passes by, it blocks out all the light and everything goes dark for a split second. Originally annoyed by this, he now hates that time he blinked when it happened.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Cancel #2

Internet issues abound at the Top Secret Vignettology Compound.
Posting from the iPhone, while possible is a but of a pain in the ass.
See you all Friday.

Sent from my iPhone

Monday, May 4, 2009

Joshua Kirby #18 - Based On A True Story

He liked the rain because it gave him an excuse to stay inside. He never cared for the poetry or the songs about the rain. The sound and feel did nothing for him. He just liked staying inside and watching movies, rain gave him an excuse to do that. It's not that hell is other people or whatever they say, he just really digs staying in. Maybe listen to music he's been meaning to catch up on. maybe write a little something. He started with the title "Based On A True Story" and ran with it from there.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Zooey Zimmerman #2 - End Of The World 3 (Just One Of Those Days)

She wasn't too happy with the world that day. The lava and tornadoes really ruined her day, which had been going pretty well so far. Why couldn't this happen last week, when she overdrew her checking account and saw that bad movie? But no, had to end today, didn't you, world? She was shopping for a new pair of shoes, when all the televisions in the electronics department all switched to the news. "Of course," she sighed.  She grabbed the shoes in anger, and left the store without paying. Before getting back to her car, she was hit with a pang of conscience. She went back into the store and took a T.V. also.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Kevin Haggerty #7 - End Of The World 2 (Shelley's Warning)

It was barely ironic when the breaking news made its way into the neuro-implants affixed to every human’s brainstem from birth.  The increasing efforts to maximize technological capabilities had taken the turn that ambitious authors had been scheming since the birth of Science Fiction.  Therefore, it was only appropriate that when the Global News Network announced our downfall that they called it Frankenstein’s Monster.  The cause arrived from the very same ailments that the good doctor had suffered himself.  Although brilliant, man had never truly learned to coexist with one another.  While some ran searching for some random refuge where they could avoid the impending carnage for a few more hours, most just stood outside and watched as the thousands of satellites once in orbit began plummeting down to earth.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Joshua Kirby #17 - End Of The World 1 (Complacent Max)

He really didn't mind the end of society. Society always got him down anyway. All his punk friends bitched about how they wanted anarchy, well now they have it. The surprising thing is, it's not all molotov cocktails and racing through the desert in search of gasoline, the survivors just survive. They just go about their business, waiting for the radiation to wear off of the fun stuff.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Joshua Kirby #16 - The Old Man's Axe

The old guitar was his dad's, passed down to him, but he was always afraid to play it. The old man hadn't played in years, arthritis claiming his near virtuosity. He was just afraid to break a string or even knock it horribly out of tune. A mere ding in the lacquer would haunt him forever. He knew the old man was just a few aspirin away from reclaiming his old skills. So it just sat there, waiting to be played again. He'd never be as good as his old man, anyway.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Kelly Dougher #3 - Paper Birds

Among all the expensive or useful presents she got for Christmas, the eight paper birds from Sweden were the best. They came in a thin tissue-paper sleeve, and didn't speak her language; they were all delicate corners and bright colors. She hung them from her ceiling with yellow and blue thread, and made sure each had a name. Only six are still with her now; one was given away in the name of love, and another was taken in the name of friendship. She figures that in a few years, she won't have any birds left hanging from her ceiling at all; and the idea makes her smile.


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Monday, April 20, 2009

Joshua Kirby #15 - Bottle Of WIne

The sun set at 8:00. They had a bottle of wine picked out for the occasion. They were under the tree with the tire swing where she used to live. She was just visiting her parents, but with her head on his shoulder, she couldn't be anywhere else. It may not have been glamourous, just her parents place, and her place years ago. She refused the wine after a few sips, deciding she wanted a clear head to take it all in. She preferred a Rosé with her sunsets anyway.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Joshua Kirby #14 - Polaroid Land Camera

They'll never take away her polaroids. They say film is out and digital is in. They say people like to see their photos instantly, well she can too. It just takes a few minutes. She likes that the colors are slightly off, so don't even try that argument. Sure the film's getting hard to find, they stopped making it a while ago, but she goes on undaunted. Everything looks older, and to her, there's nothing better than that.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Kevin Haggerty #6 - Recycled Parts

It was rather large for its function, but it was merely a prototype.  After all, he hadn’t even taken measurements as he slapped the uneven pieces of cardboard together with scotch tape.  The important thing was that he’d put his thoughts together in a fine corrugated construction that he could streamline later on.  It even had moving parts.  Once he could decide between dovetails, biscuits, or mortise and tenons, he’d be ready for the real thing.  Until then, he imagined the emotions that might reflect off the polished veneer and the marvels that could be contained within.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Theme Week #1

Attention, Vignettologists! The Vignettology Team would like to announce our first ever Theme Week. The week starting April 26th will be Armageddon Week. We'll run pieces all week about the end of the world, a happy-go-lucky topic to kick off our this new motif. We'll be accepting submissions for your best paragraph about the Apocalypse (Michael Bay fans need not apply). These vignettes will run April 27th, April 29th and May 1st.

Thanks again to all those who have submitted vignettes in the past, and to those who haven't, what's keeping you? Get writing!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Zooey Zimmerman #1 - Fanny And Bill

Fanny and Bill laugh every time they talk. They laugh over coffee in their cramped apartment. They laugh about the funny things their cats do. Fanny paints her toe nails green and Bill laughs at her. Bill grows a beard and Fanny laughs at him. Their friends think the couple is always drunk and they are, in a way. They add quirkiness to their life every day, searching for something new to laugh about. A broken type writer in the back yard? Perfect. A book about tree houses? Better, somehow. They laugh about how their friends must hate them for being so damn happy.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Joshua Kirby #13 - The Murder Scene

The rookie cop was told not to stare, but wasn't sure why. He rode shotgun into the trailer park and saw a little person in handcuffs. He had seen little people before, so he wondered what the big deal was. He entered the murder scene trailer and gasped audibly. The victim had not only the gunshot wound he had heard about, but also lobster like claws where his hands should be. He saw the victim's kids sobbing into similar claws. The cop dashed out, straight into his superior officer. "Yeah, my first trip to Freak Town shook me up too. Better get used to it."

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Kevin Haggerty #5 - Here Or There

Though the crimson striations snaked their way inexplicably toward the vacuous pools that were his pupils, his mind remained alert.  Time had frozen once more, as it did so often upon nightfall, and he know found himself lying in his bed staring at the darkness enveloping his consciousness.  The bare ceiling had become the screen for his thoughts to be projected out on.  The story didn’t make sense as scenes ended abruptly and the cast changed erratically.  But, the theme remained constant.  No matter the setting or players on this astral stage, his role was tragic yet mediocre.  Yelling out into the audience he demanded to speak to the director only to find the seats empty.  The stage was gone as well, and the ceiling was only that.  Awareness broke away as he slipped into a dreamless sleep.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Joshua Kirby #12 - Opening Day

Opening day was rainy, but that didn't dim his hopes. Baseball had arrived and it kicked out the cold, harsh winter. He thought briefly of the sport as a metaphor, but decided against it. That's been overplayed, he just wanted to watch the game. To lose himself in the stats. To annoy his girlfriend with constant updates, to look at box scores every morning in the paper, this is his heaven. Walks, RBI, WHIP, OPS. Abbreviations that mean nothing to anyone else. The season lasts exactly as long as the school year, and in a way, some things never change.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Kevin Haggerty #4 - Wars Within

The blank page was tormenting him.  It wasn’t that he lacked ideas or inspiration.  Writer’s block had never been an obstacle he couldn’t overcome.  The real issue at hand was the inactivity.  The virgin field of snow where he had bled the ink of his internal struggles so many times before was acting as a reminder to him.  It showed the stagnancy of his life.  Whether the page was filled or not, he would still be there, sitting in the chair wondering.  The blank page was an excuse.  He was tormenting himself.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Joshua Kirby #11 - Goodbye Bingo

All the clowns at the funeral had their sad faces painted on. Today they mourned their beloved friend and coworker, Bingo. A few people spoke, the mimes said nothing. They remembered all those wild parties in clown college, the time spent on the road, his love affair with the trapeze artist. Refreshments were served out of squirting flowers and poorly aimed seltzer bottles. As they left the parlor, all the clowns bid farewell, giving Bingo's nose one last honk goodbye. The service was well attended, but there were only four cars in the procession.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Joshua Kirby #10 - The Riviera

He drove along the riviera in a Ferrari Daytona. His aviator sunglasses blocking the summer French sun ahead of him. None of this was his. The car was borrowed, the setting was a vacation. Even the glasses were from a friend, taken only to complete the image. He dreamed of not only of the jet set, but a time when that really meant something. Back when glamorous and hip were synonymous.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Kelly Dougher #2 - California Girl

She was the kind of girl who ripped off her Barbie dolls’ heads as a child, transforming them into zombies. She wanted to be a Japanese pop superstar and make millions of horror movies.  Standing on the sun-drenched balcony, she perched on the balls of her feet, arched her back with one hand on her hip, and surveyed Los Angeles from behind her pink plastic sunglasses. When asked why blondes have more fun, she laughed and then whispered confidentially that for her, it was because whenever she came up with a quick comeback, people were so surprised that they immediately fell in love.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Cancellation

Today's vignette has been cancelled due to an illness spreading around the Vignettology headquarters. Apologies.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Kiran Sookhai #1 - Wit's End

When the thunder cracked, he felt the desire beating inside him like a drum.  He wasn’t quite sure when it began or where it came from, but it was coursing through his body as strong as his own heartbeat.  It was this displaced yearning that led him out the front door into the raging storm.  It sent him to the empty field across the street where he dropped to his knees in the muddy ground and raised his arms as if in supplication.  As the rain beat down on him, the sky opened and a single bolt of bright light erupted and struck him square in the chest.  When he felt the electricity pulse through him, he finally felt new again.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Joshua Kirby #9 - Flying Dylan

He sat on the airplane, tired of the romantic comedy being shown on the back of the headrest in front of him. He scrolled through the artists of his MP3 player alphabetically, stopping quickly at Bob Dylan. He came across his favorite song, Girl From The North Country, and turned it down so the engines would drown out the guitar, leaving only Mr. Dylan's voice. Some find his voice a turn off, but the pure longing for a lost love strikes him every time. Boots Of Spanish Leather, though using many of the same elements just doesn't provide the same punch.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Kevin Haggerty - #3 Only This Once

He couldn’t remember where he was going or where he was for that matter.  All he could focus on was her.  But, the her he was thinking about wasn’t the sophisticated beauty in front of him.  The her, the girl that was on his mind was that same captivating woman that seemed to occupy his thoughts whenever an opportunity arose.  Looking out of the glass elevator at the plaza below, his consciousness faded back into the moment and his levity at accompanying his guest back to her hotel room had vanished.  The solemn mood that overtook him caused each new glance to be apprehensive.  Each sly grin was now subdued and bordering on polite.  The elevator arrived at their floor and the pair stepped out, but it wasn’t the same couple that had entered.  He had found himself in the unsettling position of feeling regret no matter what decision he made.  Awaking the next morning, he couldn’t stand his own reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Joshua Kirby #8 - Best Friends

Her parents told her that they had to take her best friend away. Those two had been inseparable for her entire life, so about 4 years give or take. She never let the fact that her best friend was a stuffed giraffe get in the way of their relationship. This though, she couldn't stand for. The two had to get to the jungle to release him into the wild. They made it as far as the front bushes, which would have to do. She told him to duck down, but his head kept sticking out from the shrub. "Stay here" she said and she ran inside, frightened tears in her eyes. When she got back with food and water, her best friend was gone.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Joshua Kirby #7 - Shoes

He's bought new shoes, but after they wear out, he keeps returning to the same old pair. Shoe after shoe breaks down and he ditches them at the first small hole. The old pair just feels like home. Ripped and torn beyond the point of any shoe he's thrown away, they're constantly are the butts of jokes. But he always goes back to them, dirt and all. Thousands, literally thousands, of miles over the many years, but he has still never broken a shoelace.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Lindsay Kemmlein #1 - Ceiling

It’s 12:25 AM, and even though she promised herself she’d be in bed by midnight, she has yet to give her homework any serious thought.  Instead, she sits on her bed glancing over her notebook.  There’s nothing written, except for the snowman she drew during class.  Deciding the snowman is B+ material, she lies flat on her back, and takes in the view: a white ceiling.  Rough and plain.  How can she get work done with these distractions!  She tells herself she'll get the work done... tomorrow.  Every night it's the same, but she doesn't feel guilty for it.  It’s hard to feel anything beyond apathy when faced with white, lackluster stucco.  

A Note To Prospective Vignettologists

Vignettology can be a daunting study. One might be afraid to vignettologize, so here are a few strategies to make your vignette all it can be:

1) Remember that brevity is the soul of wit. A great vignette values concision over all else. Consider your words carefully, because you don't get a lot of them. Vignettology celebrates l'amour de la langue.
2) Write what you know. Life experiences are always the easiest to write about. Much like Seinfeld was a show about nothing, vignettes are stories about nothing.
3) Like in everything else, be yourself. You may read Vignettology thinking "I could never write like that." No one's asking you to. Write in your style, write how you talk, write poetically, whatever you choose, make it your own.
4) Nut up. Don't be afraid to be embarrassed. If you feel even the faintest spark of inspiration, go for it. If everyone were afraid to take risks, nothing would ever get done.

Most vignettologists have no formal training in creative writing, so don't let that stop you either. You can do it, we know you can do it.

So you've followed those simple rules and you have a shiny new vignette looking for a home, what do you do? You e-mail it to us, simple. vignettology at gmail dot com. Please include your name or preferred alias, and if you plan on writing more than one, please number them. If the Vignettology team deems it worthy, we'll publish it. If we deem it unworthy, we'll give gentle advice on how to optimize your vignette

Now get to it!
Love,
The Vignettology Team

Monday, March 9, 2009

Kevin Haggerty #2 - Thursday Mornings

The crisp sea breeze cut through his t-shirt and the briny moisture tore away at his spirit.  That air that had for so long been a reminder of home now merely tasted of bitter disappointment.  It was obvious that the cheery recollection of a night spent walking on the shore was being used as a masochistic memory meant to mitigate the reality.  As things were, who could say what would come of the next moment? Or what may be carried along on the next shore bound gust?  The trouble was though, that that tomorrow remained the unattainable, a distance that could never be shortened.  So, disenchanted by the certainty of what he was already sure of, and the confusion of what he’d never know, he continued his trek through the tumult of time, making no headway. The sea was unsettlingly calm.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Joshua Kirby #6 - Snowy Path

They walked down the snowy path, mostly wordless. It had snowed the night before, so the loose gravel was slippery. They joked and pushed each other playfully, slipping on the ice. The snow caked up on the fronts of their shoes and crackled under their feet. They weren't going anywhere the path didn't take them, and when it came time to turn around and go home, they made a point of stepping in their original footprints.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Joshua Kirby #5 - Frost

The grass crunched with frost beneath his feet. The crisp air of winter had come early this year and the frost settled in mid November. He got the paper out of the box knowing the ice was here to stay, making itself comfortable until March, at the earliest. The paper's top headline corroborated, and below the fold were stories of black ice related traffic accidents. He turned around and took a different route back inside as to maximize the crunch beneath his feet. He cursed the sky for not snowing, but went inside and made hot cocoa anyway.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Kevin Haggerty - #1 Worth It?

Collapsed beneath the steel frame-work, looking up through the tower that will one day be, he is struck by the similarity of this moment.  So many years ago he had witnessed this experience as a child staring up through the jungle gym, straining to keep his eyes open as the sun shone day from overhead.  He had giggled then, ignoring the pain reverberating through his skull as the swelling began.  All he could feel now was the chill in his spine as the warmth seeped through his hair.  He knew he shouldn’t have tried to climb it, but he just wanted to feel that separation from it all again, crossing between the bounds of the city and the sky.  He giggled one last time. 

Friday, February 27, 2009

Joshua Kirby #4 - Burial

1,203. The dead far outnumbered the living at the ceremony. The latter count being only twelve, if you include the priest. He delivered his eulogy with a special brand of empty reverence, reserved for only this mass ceremony. Every year, thousands of dead go unclaimed, no relatives and no estate to pay for a proper burial. They end up here, to the annual mass ceremony on April 1st. The only mourners are a few county workers and two community outreachers who wished they could do more. Cremated and mixed, they rest together in a large plot, annotated only by a plaque saying the year and the plot's population.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Kelly Dougher #1 - Fireworks

It was summer, and the boardwalk had free fireworks every Wednesday night. It was sticky and warm, with the dark beach in front and the bright lights of rides behind as the crowd stood facing the ocean breeze. Everyone talked loudly and in good humor while they waited, watching the shadows scurry along the shoreline, setting up in the sand. Minutes before the show started, a mother told her three daughters the story of the accident that happened here years ago. She was a young woman then, standing near this very spot watching the fireworks display, when one rocketed bizarrely off in the wrong direction and hit a small boy in the face. Gold and red shone everywhere. They rushed him to the hospital, but it was too late. Suddenly, sharp crack made the family jump and look up, startled, as the display began. The girls laughed at themselves and turned their faces upwards. Their mother watched carefully the bright reflections in their eyes the entire time.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Worth noting

Not a vignette, but Drew from Toothpaste For Dinner definitely gets what we're about even if he has no idea who we are.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Joshua Kirby #2 - Sonic Dreams

She believed in her heart that she was the first person to ever have a dream entirely in music. There were no pictures, no images. No sights, just sounds. The dream symphony was gorgeous, though, like all dreams, ephemeral. Fleeting. By morning much of it had gone, the composition undone. She wrote what she could remember and patched the cracks, though the larger holes proved impossible to fill. All that ever came from it was a good story and the strange looks its telling precipitates. 

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Joshua Kirby #1 - Sidewalk

He sits down on the hard sidewalk, cement warmed by the sun. He bakes under his black t-shirt. He doesn't sit on the curb or against a wall. He doesn't even face the street, instead looking at the buildings and the people passing, back against a parking meter, still twenty two minutes left on it. No car is in the spot. He entire back vibrates after his head knocks against the pole. His legs were at first outstretched, though he brings his feet towards him to allow people to pass. He rests his arms on his knees, now armpit level. The passersby divert their eyes from him they way they would from a vagrant. He doesn't care. He counts the people walking by and the cars behind him and is concerned by the ratio.