Couldn't find your Substack name - too hard from my own fetal position, yes? But wanted you to see I thought it was brilliant. Here's what I posted.
Oh man, this piece… I copied to paste portions many times but ultimately, decided against all of them. You should be as surprised as I was to learn what's become of Charlie Brown. Charles Schultz could never, would never have dreamed this…
Many years ago, I wrote for Esquire Magazine; when Schultz died, I wrote a "Peanuts" strip for them in which the characters celebrate the death of their cruel Creator. They had to send it to his widow for approval, and it was a high point of my career when she not only approved it, but said that she thought Charles would have loved it. So maybe he would have dreamed this, who knows?
Couldn't find your Substack name - too hard from my own fetal position, yes? But wanted you to see I thought it was brilliant. Here's what I posted.
Oh man, this piece… I copied to paste portions many times but ultimately, decided against all of them. You should be as surprised as I was to learn what's become of Charlie Brown. Charles Schultz could never, would never have dreamed this…
Many years ago, I wrote for Esquire Magazine; when Schultz died, I wrote a "Peanuts" strip for them in which the characters celebrate the death of their cruel Creator. They had to send it to his widow for approval, and it was a high point of my career when she not only approved it, but said that she thought Charles would have loved it. So maybe he would have dreamed this, who knows?
Who knows, indeed! Great bit of trivia there. Makes it an even better chapter! I used to ice skate at his ice arena in Santa Rosa.
Why I find this somehow horrifyingly satisfying is probably only someplace a good therapist can reach. (But I do and no doubt going to hell as well)
i bow to the brilliance!’
This is brilliant. You had me at poor Charlie taking one to the chest. You also capture the thrill of childhood baseball perfectly.
You might enjoy the first piece I posted on Substack about a small town, Little League baseball, and important lessons. https://heftymatters.substack.com/p/hefty-matters-mustering-all-the-courage?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Nice piece, Ben - but 1" wide malt balls? I call bullshit.
Thanks to your iteration of Linus for finally questioning the *goodness* of good grief.
Appears to me, a good start to an xtrodinary abstract introspection of ones good goddammed grief journey. Looking forward to chapter two.
I think someone's going to have a long talk with Ereshkigal in a chapter to come... This is brilliant.
All I have to say is: Fuck you, George.
I've heard that somewhere.
Love it. Keep going with whatever it is.