Song of the Red-Legged Birds: CUTTING ROOM FLOOR
The talk show piece
Hello readers! A couple of months ago I posted the last chapter of my serial novel Song of the Red-Legged Birds. I thought I’d share a piece or two that didn’t make it in the novel, but still lurk in the dusty corners of my saved folder.
This section could stand on its own in a way. My initial intent was to use this television talk show format as a way to do some occasional world-building throughout. Therefore I could take the pressure off of the characters and even the narrator. Ultimately I felt like it was trying to do more than I wanted the book to feel like.
So here it is. Let me know what you think. If you’ve not read any of the book, I wonder if this would entice you at all.
I’ve got one more I’ll share in a couple of weeks that I call, the failed epilogue.
Bill
CUTTING ROOM FLOOR 1
“Good morning, and welcome back to another edition of Straight Up, a Sunday roundtable discussion that pulls no punches on the issues that affect you daily. As always, I’m your host, Stangford Ridgeway, and today we’ll be discussing The Event and its effects on our lives. Our notable panel, starting from my immediate left, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Heather Ting, whose latest work ‘The Event is Bigger than You’ has received critical acclaim, welcome Ms. Ting.”
“Thank you, Stangford, and please call me Heather.”
“Will do, Heather. To her left is noted speaker on The Event, the Reverend Archibald Kerstock, who has taken time out of his nationwide speaking tour on this very subject to talk with us this morning. Welcome, Reverend Kerstock.”
“Very pleased to be with you, Stangford.”
“To the Reverend’s left is, of course, The Honorable Doctor Valneth Cogate, former Secretary of State in the Hennessy administration whose notable work on The Event speaks for itself. Welcome to the show, Doctor Cogate.”
“Good morning, Stangford. I’m glad to be with you again.”
“Heather, in your recent work ‘The Event is Bigger than You,’ you posit that as human beings, we’ve accepted as normal something completely unprecedented and likely beyond our understanding. What are you hoping that people will take away from your message?”
“Stangford, The Event has subtly changed how we live our day-to-day lives for nearly a hundred years. As a species, we’re constantly getting a dose of positivity daily. Yet, if you look closely at the events of the last century, it’s undeniable that life has gotten incrementally worse in many ways. One should keep an open mind as to the origin and purpose of The Event; complacency could be the next clear and present danger.”
“I’d like to turn to you, Reverend Kerstock, as it’s clear that your strong opinion on the origin of The Event is placed solely in the hand of God. Is that fair to say?”
“Yes, Stangford, it is. I take issue with what I ascribe as Ms. Ting’s fear-mongering. God has reached into our lives to give us proof of his divine presence. To reject, question, or fear that is in direct opposition to his holy word. It’s unarguable that life has become more difficult, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t speaking to us through The Event. It may mean that we’re still not listening. We must uncover our ears and embrace the message. Struggling against the truth will push us further from his eternal embrace.”
“Dr. Cogate, as someone who’s had to work around the globe helping create guidelines for our society to live with, how do you see it? Are you managing the message from God or some otherworldly beings?”
“Look, Stangford, the simple reality we have to deal with is how this affects our day-to-day lives. Speculating why it’s happening, be it aliens, god, or gods, isn’t more helpful than speculating on why humans are here. What is helpful, what is beneficial, is to consider how we can manage and even harness The Event for our shared betterment.”
“Dr. Cogate, I’m sure that you’ve heard the theory that The Event is man-made. Some would go so far as to say that it’s government-made. A form of mind control. That something is in the air, water, food, or even the media, poisoning our minds. What’s your response to those kind of comments?”
“I’ll keep it simple, Stangford; they’re ridiculous and completely without merit. Look, I’m self-aware enough to know that people frequently distrust the government. Conspiracy theorists have been around for a long time; it’s part and parcel of a society. But as someone who has worked with most of the world’s leaders, I can tell you The Event isn’t a government-made construct.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Reverend Kerstock, what’s your reaction to the regulations put in place around The Event? Most notably, of course, there was the Special Forces soldier who was forced not to participate in a raid because of his birthday. As we now know, his entire squad was killed. His expressed feeling is that he should have been there and that maybe he could have saved them.”
“Stangford, my opinions on this have always been clear. The government should never interfere or attempt to regulate the lord’s word. I find it a travesty that this still has to be discussed. The more we attempt to close ourselves off from his word, the further we put ourselves from his holy glory and, frankly, the closer we come to his wrath.”
“Turning back to you, Heather, your book expresses views about regulation similar to Reverend Kerstock’s but maybe go even further. I quote, ‘We must remain open to the possibility that The Event may change again, at any time. Regulation and attempts at suppression may reduce our chances to evolve as a species.’ Are you concerned that we may not be listening for a message from ‘on high.’”
“Essentially, yes. The Centers have trivialized The Event by focusing on it being something fun, and with all due respect to Reverend Kerstock, many on the religious right have co-opted it to strike fear in the hearts of their congregations. It’s no secret that my views are most often defined as atheistic, and that’s fair. But, I think we need to be prepared to receive the next step forward in our inborn evolution or to accept knowledge from a species beyond our comprehension.”
“I’d like to thank our guests as we wrap up the first segment of the program. When we return from the commercial, I’d like to discuss how The Event has shaped our culture, from books and TV to movies, sports, and the arts. Please stay with us.”
If you made it through that piece and would like to read the full novel, get started here: Song of the Red-Legged Birds. It’s free. Or a present. You don’t have to get me anything. Happy Holidays!