Tuesday, June 22, 2010

But She Started It

I was home alone. Along came a knock on the door.

In somewhat of a daze, I shuffled down the hall an swung open the door.

Blinking in awe I stared out at the famous author.

She smiled. "Hello, I'm Harper Lee."
Nodding I replied with, "I know."
"I hear you too are a writer," she said.
"Trying to be," I answered.

The smile faded from her face only to be replaced by a scowl. "Ten years you've been hacking away now," she said. "You must realize that you would have already published a novel by now if that is what you really wanted to."

I met her icy stare and said, "Yeah, well what the hell do you know? You've only published one, and rumor has it somebody else wrote it for you."

"You don't know a damn thing about me or my book, you wet behind the ears wanna be. You couldn't identify real literature of it came pouring out your ... "


Right about then I woke up ... and immediately thought, what the hell.

I've long been an avid dreamer than remembers most if not all of the details the next morning, but this dream was a first. My nocturnal illusion are not usually filled with literary icons calling me out on the carpet and should I ever get the opportunity to meat the fable Miss Lee I certainly would not chastise her with that persistent rumor that Truman Capote actually penned To Kill A Mockingbird.

So I know I ask y'all two questions. Have you had any strange dreams of late and two, what is your dream interpretation of my encounter with the elusive Miss Lee?

16 comments:

Paul D Brazill said...

I always have strange dreams, have since I was a kid. Dreams with celebs are quite common. Sinatra is always turning up.

That is a good dream but I haven't a clue what it means!

Melissa Amateis said...

I have strange dreams every single night. They've ranged from defending the family farm against Nazis to being in a movie with the end credits actually ROLLING in the dream.

I think the dream means this: no more excuses. Get the novel done. Submit it. Keep writing.

G. B. Miller said...

Last strange dream I had, I wound up writing a book in two months that I'm now currently editing, etc.

Dream interpetation?

Since Ms. Lee is the ultimate one and done mega rich and famous author, perhaps you'll write that one book which will explode in all kinds of formats, and that will be it.

BTW: I read an excellent biography on her about a year or so ago.

Naomi Johnson said...

Funny, I thought the rumor was that Lee had written large chunks of In Cold Blood.

jerseygirl89 said...

I used to have strange dreams a lot but now I can't remember if I've dreamed most of the time. I think Miss Lee was there to tell you to submit your work pronto, but also to be careful not to turn into a recluse like her and Salinger.

Old Kitty said...

Erm... too much beer? :-) Eating cheese after 10?

:-)

My worse dreams are recurrent nightmares about work - where I couldn't shut the place down because customers refused to leave!! Yuck!

Take care
x

Terrie Farley Moran said...

The only thing I know about dream interpretation is that if you dream bad thngs, good things will happen.

I think you are fighting with your inner self because you are not ready to through in the towel.

Keep on writing!

Terrie

Anonymous said...

It's not unusual for me to dream in musical. As in, my subconscious writes a score, libretto, stages the whole thing - it's always in color if not in multiple languages.

Why, yes, yes, I can spell "overactive imagination."

My interpretation of your dream:

Well, Harper obviously represents someone who plays the harp and likes to gamble, and resents being caught cheating. Lee points to a side of something that is sheltered from the wind, ie, leeward. So my analysis is that you're expressing an unspoken desire to join an orchestra that plays outdoors.

No?

Terri said...

Guy named Freud wrote some tomes on the subject. But then again some of his ideas were pretty dreamworthy themselves.
Often have some pretty strange dreams, one of them sort of recurring. Different people populate that one with me from time to time. Never a famous author, though, except once, and I actually know her in real life. When she was only almost famous!
My favorite is when people use the interpretation of dreams to play the numbers. Yeah. That works.

Charles Gramlich said...

I have my share of weird dreams but so far never one quite like this one. I very much enjoy my weird ones and look forward to them. If I don't have at least one a week I feel pretty disappointed.

B.E. Sanderson said...

No strange dreams for me lately - knock on wood. All I think your dream means is all the years you've been at this are weighing on you. I think you're wondering whether publication will ever happen and if not, why the hell are you doing this? (Or maybe all of that's just me.) I wish I had an answer for getting over it, but I just keep slogging ahead and holding onto hope with both hands.

pattinase (abbott) said...

My husband has the vivid, exciting dreams. He is often in foreign climes where he most save humanity. As to Ms. Lee, she's bucking you up. Or your id is. Or ego. Or super ego. I can never keep that bunch straight.

Cloudia said...

She expects great things from you and was trying to encourage you...




My live is a strange dream, Trav.




Aloha from Hawaii

Comfort Spiral

Barbara Martin said...

Dream interpretation, okay.

She's chastising you: "you will have cause to be proud". That's the meaning in my dream book. So hang in there, Travis. Your day will come.

Dreaming Marcia said...

I think the dream is just a part of you being frustrated and angry with yourself for not having already achieved the success that Harper Lee has achieved. But the fact that you stand up to her shows that you aren't letting the negative feelings get to you.

You're letting these feelings out in your dreams so they don't hold you back in waking life.

Anonymous said...

Oh I like Barbara Martin's interpretation! :)