Challenge 527

Make Your Own

1. For Thomas F. Wylie’s “The Attempt,” take the poem as a prompt for a poem or flash fiction story of your own in which the events recounted in the poem are explained. You may use a first- or third-person point of view, and you may give the characters names.

2. In Cristina-Monica Moldoveanu’s “The Dam,” how does the author feel about the dam and what its contruction means for her village? Does she see it favorably, unfavorably or ambivalently?

3. In Kerry Gans’ “To Light and Guard”:

   1. In view of the mother’s justifiable concern that a serial criminal may be approaching her neighborhood, what reasonable protective steps might she take other than installing an alarm system?
   2. Is the account a story or a vignette?

4. In Charles C. Cole’s “The Most Powerful Emotion”:

   1. Why does the action take place in a calm, controlled setting?
   2. Does Jules Eaves’ reasoning make sense?
   3. What other reaction might one expect from Wilder Crowley?

5. In Brevin Anderson’s “Island Long”:

   1. Arrem has lived “fifteen seasons.” Why does the word “season” have an unusual meaning? How many seasons are there in the year where Arrem lives?
   2. Where are the children’s parents?
   3. Why does Arrem find it hard to believe that Grandfather can read?
   4. Wood is scarce. In view of the setting, might the boys use metal weapons, instead?
   5. Is the account a story or a vignette?

6. In Owen J. Traylor’s “The Bow-Tie,” is it plausible that the relatively elderly gentleman on the bus would treat a fellow countryman so rudely? Might he have a reason to speak as brusquely as he does?

Responses welcome!

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