One
of the best openings I've written appeared in one of the most off-beat stories
I've ever produced—a story called "Into White," named after a song by
Cat Stevens, published in a journal called The
Cynic Online (now defunct, sadly). This story became a way of exploring
otherness. The different angles and directions it led me to explore a lot
about creative paths and connections.
Here
is the beginning I mentioned:
"I am an albino girl. I have no pigment in my skin. My hair and
flesh are white—and I don’t mean white in the sense we usually use the
word, as in 'Caucasian.' I mean white like
a piece of paper or a marshmallow. I have Type
1 Oculocutaneous Albinism. I do not have
a drop of pigment in my body. I am
completely white."
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| Russian fashion model Nastya Zhidkova |
I knew a young lady at the
school where I taught who had this condition. I was fascinated to see the way
she behaved and dealt with being different or "other" and the way the
students at our school regarded her. No one treated her any differently, though
on occasion she would talk about her genetic "condition." Still, I wondered,
what would the dynamic be if one carried a distinctive appearance? I decided to
explore it in a story. In this case, the distinction did not seem to lead to
difficulties—but, still, what was the dynamic? What situations might it lead to?
What are the dynamics of difference?
The story focuses on the young
woman, Sarah, who plays piano in a local band. She meets Sossity Chandler, who
is playing local gigs at that time and, through her, Tommy Sendek, a
basketball player. Eventually, Sarah breaks off her less-than-ideal
relationship with Drew Mason and begins to date Tommy and play as a back-up
musician with Sossity.
Away
from Drew, Sarah realizes how he always joked about her appearance. His jokes
were never vicious or insulting, and she took them in stride, but she sees how this
represented a controlling aspect of his nature. As time goes along, she sees
that his joking about her albinism was only the tip of the iceberg and that Drew
is violent and aggressive. Her relationship with Tommy, who is Jewish, a top
scorer for a local team, but refuses to play ball on the Sabbath, deepens. He
understands otherness.
The
crisis continues to build. Tommy is a contender for the leading scorer in the
State of Michigan. One night at a bar Drew begins to call her a
"pink," "ghostie," and insult her in other ways. Sarah
suddenly realizes he wants to pick a fight with Tommy and ruin his chances for
becoming the top scorer in the state by making him ineligible to play because
fighting would disqualify him from the team. She plays up to Drew, indicating
she might return to him, and then sings (with Sossity playing
guitar) the Cat Stevens song "Into White," which Drew had always wanted
her to do and she had steadfastly refused. Drew relents and there is no fight.
Years
later, married to Tommy, who plays basketball for an Italian league, she learns
that Drew has ruined his marriage and his career as a musician by his violence
and abusiveness. Sarah accepts Sossity's offer to play keyboards in her band
now that she has become a major figure in the popular music scene. Her husband eventually
lands a slot of a team in the NBA.
My
acquaintance with a student brought about this exploration of otherness,
personal negotiations, and relationships. These are the door than can open for
writers when they are willing to explore. Exploration often brings in
connections and opens the door to creativity. I have seen it happen many times.
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