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I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

boston.craigslist.org

61–70 of 103 posts

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#62
post #28

I'm not sure what people find "beautiful" or "touching" in this story. A man is wracked by guilt over what he has done to the point of deciding to end his life, but then he forgets all about it as soon as a pretty girl gives him attention. Inasmuch as it is believable, this is a story about how all our lofty notions of justice, honor, purpose etc. are just bullshit, and it's really all about fucking, consuming and ke…

Yeesh. Lay off the Nietzsche.

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bet you're fun at parties.

I am sorry, but thats all you have to say? Camillo is absolutely right on that subject. This person killed hundreds (if not more) of beings, realised his guilt, subsequently wanted to choose the "noble" path of taking the consequences (even though, realistically, it wouldnt have changed a single thing for those he bombed) and suddenly forgot everything the moment he met a pretty girl. Fake or not, if you are saying p…

That's actually a pretty common retort often used by snarky people against other snarky or depressing people on the internet. Is it a meme? Possibly...

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#64

Could be summarized as "I murdered some people and felt guilty, then I flirted with a beautiful woman which saved me from suicide, then I forgave myself for my crimes, now I'm lonely so I want to meet that woman again." I don't have any sympathy for this man who's had just about the best possible life he could have, given what he did. I'll bet there are plenty of prisoners serving life for murder who would also like…

Yes, "boo" to using words that play with peoples emotions, and "yay" to not ever doing that sort of thing.

...except your summarized version also triggers an emotional response, does it not? Perhaps less deceptive. (or is it?)

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#66
post #4

I think a lot of people miss the point of this posting -- it doesn't matter if it's real or if it's fake, but rather it's an evolution of artistic expression. Someone is using Craigslist as an entirely new medium for writing a bit of poetry or short story. The potential for this type of work to reach people is huge, and that to me is the most exciting part of it all.

Long-form graffiti :)

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#68
post #28

I'm not sure what people find "beautiful" or "touching" in this story. A man is wracked by guilt over what he has done to the point of deciding to end his life, but then he forgets all about it as soon as a pretty girl gives him attention. Inasmuch as it is believable, this is a story about how all our lofty notions of justice, honor, purpose etc. are just bullshit, and it's really all about fucking, consuming and ke…

I disagree. The very act of listening to someone with that level of pain, a level so great he was about to end his own life, and similarly listening to the pain of the other person with the same intensity, that's where the beauty lies.

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#69
post #53
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> would earn marks as a school assignment Oh, come on. I can't tell if you're being ironic or clumsy, but if it's the later I strongly disagree. This is fantastic writing, much better than what we read everywhere everyday; in school it would warrant to take the teacher's place.

I'm saying it's good. That said, it's only 1000 words. Don't get too excited. By "school" I mean maybe college, a dedicated writing class. Who knows, who cares, but don't underestimate the talent of young writers motivated by viral glory! But yeah... it's a good one-hit-wonder.

1,000 words? It packs a lot into its brevity and it suits its medium.

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#70
post #57
post #4

I think a lot of people miss the point of this posting -- it doesn't matter if it's real or if it's fake, but rather it's an evolution of artistic expression. Someone is using Craigslist as an entirely new medium for writing a bit of poetry or short story. The potential for this type of work to reach people is huge, and that to me is the most exciting part of it all.

Of course it matters. If it's real, it's a strange, perhaps touching story. If it's made-up, it's a trite and rather artless attempt to yank at your heartstrings. Being coy about whether something is a true account, fictionalized or outright fiction is a cheap way to avoid criticism of both one's reportage and art. Jack Shafer wrote about this sort of thing regarding a David Sedaris flap a few years ago: http://www.s…

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