As her hand neared the palm plate that would open the door I jumped to my feet, grabbed her by the shoulders, and shoved her into the center of my tiny room. “Stand at attention, Corporal,” I said.
“Michael? What the fuck are you…”
I backhanded her. I can’t say to this day which of us was more surprised at the action. “I said, stand at attention, you worthless excuse for a Marine.”
Heartbroken, angry and in the company of some good whiskey, Shannon writes a very emotional letter home, regarding her recent breakup with Michael Collins.
Letters Home, Part 7 – set in the universe of A Loss of Innocence
Universe by Peter Hodges
Story by Kate Baker
Dramatic Reading by Kate Baker
Music: “Gone Baby Gone” by Harry Gregson-Williams
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I don’t know what happened in this podcast. You sometimes hear about characters coming alive when their words hit the paper. All I know is that when I started recording, I felt like Shannon, instead of feeling for her. I am weepy, still.
Now that I listen to what has become of this podcast, I am desperately sad for her loss, no matter what her circumstances. She may be a figment of Pete’s and my imagination, but tonight, she feels real.
This is Kate’s best podcast to date. When I edited this portion of the O’Leary letters, I did my usual striking of idiomatic phrases and and tightening of sentences, but I was astonished at the undercurrent of raw emotion here. Kate has crawled inside of the character of O’Leary to an almost frightening degree, and the podcast tells you in no uncertain terms what O’Leary feels as she is pushed beyond her breaking point.
When we had sketched out the story arc for these podcasts, I knew we would have something pretty cool. I never imagined that it would contain the kind of power that it does.
As I said before, if you haven’t listened to this story arc, start with part one and listen all the way through. Each podcast is only a few minutes long and Kate has done such a magnificent job with them that you’re really missing out if you haven’t already heard them.
WTF!!! This is VALENTINES DAY!!! Oh Woe is Shannon.. Wow! Great job Kate! Blitz