from the cutting room floor
A deleted scene from the original draft
A note about the original version
a deleted scene
Introductory
I am looking across to the La-Z-Boy, where Mark is reading. He’s been pestering me about finishing this up. Now that I have, I have been wondering just how to let him read it. I have figured out a way at last. We have this wonderful love seat that extends out at the bottom, like a recliner. It’s plushy and comfy. I am going to make a huge pot of tea, and load up a plate with shortbread squares. I’ll put the tea and cups on his side table, and the shortbread on mine. I am not going to let him read this. I am going to read it to him. He can read it again later if he wants. I’m sure he will, because there are a few surprises in this, even now. That’s going to be part of the fun.
Ooo. I just had a great idea. I’m going to let him read a few chapters to me. How can we do this in a single evening? We might have to give this two nights. Wouldn’t that be awful, though.
I plan to report back at the end. You are hereby invited to listen in. I’m going into the kitchen now.
Aftermath
Are you still here? It took us two evenings. Mark was so sweet, as usual. I won’t tell which parts blew him away. I didn’t discover what a prude he really was, until last night. But he has forgiven me. I have to tell you what he said, the clever devil. After keeping quiet for the longest time, to make sure I was really worried and agonized about what he was thinking, he said, simply, “Thank you, Julian.”
Even now, after more years than I can believe, he can still say that in the way that melts me into the happiest state I know. All I could say, while I snuggled up in his lap, just like old times, was “You’re welcome, Mark.”
Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed it a little, you who are still tuned in. Thanks. My real name is Eric, by the way.
back to the drawing board
In October 2011, the original version of Barr’s Meadow (see the original cover, right) was scheduled to be printed and released by a major Canadian press. That was halted abruptly in the early stages, and the project was cancelled. An essay about that appears in the In lieu of a blog section of the Julian's Private Scrapbook/Little J and Roger series [an odd thing happened].
For the time being, the original version has been moved to a new location, the LJR Vault. On-line download sales will be made from this location.
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A deleted scene from the original draft
A note about the original version
a deleted scene
Note of explanation: The first version of Little J and Roger was
crafted in a retrospective frame wherein the major protagonists are introduced
well into their retirement years. One has been secretly working on a memoir of
their life, and surprises the other with a fireside reading of his achievement.
That point is where the present novel begins. Occasional breaks in the narrative
were planned to remind readers that they were sitting in on a very personal
reminiscence. Those tidbits have not survived. The frame close was brief and
perfunctory and totally irrelevant. It is attached below as
well.
Both pieces were written in the first person, as if the narrator was addressing the reader directly. I have presented them with the rather clumsy titles intact, and resisted the urge to rewrite them.
This structural element was cut to reduce word count, initially. That concern vanishes with the ebook format, of course. Still, the author prefers the immediacy and involvement that is achieved with the frame removed. In order to be kept it would have to be expanded and developed; the focus of the story would be blurred, so it has not been restored. Its plausibility is implied, however, in the way Part 5 concludes.
It’s much better that the reader be enabled to supply his own imagined afterword.
Both pieces were written in the first person, as if the narrator was addressing the reader directly. I have presented them with the rather clumsy titles intact, and resisted the urge to rewrite them.
This structural element was cut to reduce word count, initially. That concern vanishes with the ebook format, of course. Still, the author prefers the immediacy and involvement that is achieved with the frame removed. In order to be kept it would have to be expanded and developed; the focus of the story would be blurred, so it has not been restored. Its plausibility is implied, however, in the way Part 5 concludes.
It’s much better that the reader be enabled to supply his own imagined afterword.
Introductory
I am looking across to the La-Z-Boy, where Mark is reading. He’s been pestering me about finishing this up. Now that I have, I have been wondering just how to let him read it. I have figured out a way at last. We have this wonderful love seat that extends out at the bottom, like a recliner. It’s plushy and comfy. I am going to make a huge pot of tea, and load up a plate with shortbread squares. I’ll put the tea and cups on his side table, and the shortbread on mine. I am not going to let him read this. I am going to read it to him. He can read it again later if he wants. I’m sure he will, because there are a few surprises in this, even now. That’s going to be part of the fun.
Ooo. I just had a great idea. I’m going to let him read a few chapters to me. How can we do this in a single evening? We might have to give this two nights. Wouldn’t that be awful, though.
I plan to report back at the end. You are hereby invited to listen in. I’m going into the kitchen now.
Aftermath
Are you still here? It took us two evenings. Mark was so sweet, as usual. I won’t tell which parts blew him away. I didn’t discover what a prude he really was, until last night. But he has forgiven me. I have to tell you what he said, the clever devil. After keeping quiet for the longest time, to make sure I was really worried and agonized about what he was thinking, he said, simply, “Thank you, Julian.”
Even now, after more years than I can believe, he can still say that in the way that melts me into the happiest state I know. All I could say, while I snuggled up in his lap, just like old times, was “You’re welcome, Mark.”
Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed it a little, you who are still tuned in. Thanks. My real name is Eric, by the way.
back to the drawing board
In October 2011, the original version of Barr’s Meadow (see the original cover, right) was scheduled to be printed and released by a major Canadian press. That was halted abruptly in the early stages, and the project was cancelled. An essay about that appears in the In lieu of a blog section of the Julian's Private Scrapbook/Little J and Roger series [an odd thing happened].For the time being, the original version has been moved to a new location, the LJR Vault. On-line download sales will be made from this location.
Back to top of page