Friday, April 10, 2015

Dave's Antatomy #5: Exploring Creative Connections: "Into White"





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."

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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