In a moment of personal triumph, I’ve just managed to get my 14 year old nephew to give me a story critique ala OSC’s wise reader model.

He went through my revision of “American Changeling” and let me know what he found dull, unbelievable, or didn’t get. And which bits he thought were cool.

Score!

Granted, it was not a particularly detailed response, but it was his first critique and I’m pleased as Punch that he did it. Even better, he liked the ending and told me why. I am a very happy aunt right now.

With my fourteen year old nephew’s permission, I am linking to his story, the king saved the king of popcorn. He is striving for a dadaist sensibility — he told me so. I think this story succeeds admirably.

Here’s a teaser.

“omg! i have a bad imagination. so i have hired a few zombies to come and take out your brains! they will be here in a hour. then they will give your brain to me so i will have a great imagination! hahahahaha!”.

Remember me showing you that article about my nephew’s friend? We just got word that he’s had a successful lung transplant. He’s still not out of the woods, but at least he’s got a path to get there now.

According to my nephew, the Hasby Goon inn on Mars has a library filled with books that are written in a Chinese-Martian hybrid. He says that despite speaking a little Chinese, it’s too hard to read the books because you have to translate two languages at once. The spoken language is easier because they speak British. He says that’s still confusing.

Today is my nephew’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Peter!

I’m driving up to Raleigh to visit my sister-in-law and my nieces and nephew and Mom suggested that I bake them one of her famous poundcakes. Unfortunately, folks were in the kitchen talking to me and I missed a step. I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do with the result. It looks like a cake, but the flavor is um…lacking.

Wish my nephew a happy birthday!