Vancouver Writes 2008

Vancouver Writes at Performance Works

View more photos on our Flickr photo album.

Participants: Tamar Harris, Christine Grimard, Joel Parker, Cam Lavender, Penelope Turpin, Lesa Dee Tree. Missing from photo: Colin Throness. Photo: Chris Cameron 2008

Coach: Caroline Adderson

2008 Winning Submission - Table 12

In the third session of the evening, the teams had to draw ten words from a bowl and incorporate them in a piece of prose or poetry.

Marion in Four Views

1. Marion at 4 was an asocial young girl. She was fascinated by things that other people never saw or heard. She was content living in her own small world. The moan of her lasso, which she spun over her head for hours on end brought her squeals of joy. Watching the progress of a bee among the garden flowers could happily occupy her. All that would change when she started school.

2. Marion at 16 is in the chaplain’s office at St. Mary’s boarding school. She’s in trouble again. Ms. Burkins noticed the protruding tufts of unkempt hair under her arms. With every jumping jack, Burkins’ eyes were drawn to the unruly curls – between them her unclaimed womanhood shuddering, warm and glistening in the glaring fluorescents of the gymnasium at St. Mary’s.

Standing before the chaplain at her desk, Marion held her arms high. “Simply not acceptable,” said the chaplain, pulling at her bifocals for closer inspection. Marion felt a curious warmth gathering within her as the chaplain moved her hands across Marion’s bare arms.

3. Marion at 25 caused another stir. Her tasseled breasts shimmied in the sultry light. Doug touched himself awkwardly in his gesture of self-appreciation. This was his route. The stop where he waited for the #99. The stop where the curtain was sometimes open. He identified with Marion’s need for self-expression.

Marion made him feel normal. A movement signaled to him that he was not the sole audience member.

A boy, not more than eight, approached him.

“Five bucks.”
“What?”
“Dude. Five bucks.”
“For what?”
“Watching my mom.”

4. Marion at 50 sits by a table holding a magnifying glass and looking at the jewel that she’d been asked to appraise. When the policeman came in with his query she couldn’t tell him right away the true value of the diamond. Now she appraised the cut, clarity, colour and carat to determine the exact value of what would be the larges stone she had ever seen. The policeman had vouched to return the next day.

To Marion’s surprise the following morning brought not the same policeman but, in fact, his partner who informed her that the man she had seen the day before had been killed in the line of duty. It was at this moment that Marion came to a decision. She handed over not the diamond she had appraised the previous day but a much smaller stone. The only question was what to do with yesterday’s treasure.

Vancouver Writes is part of Winterruption 2008, a showcase of food, arts & culture on Granville Island, February 21-24, 2008.

This project received funding support under the Granville Island Cultural Project Sponsorship Program.