Monday, April 28, 2008

Adam and Eve story

My bigger book project is still looming and I'm working away at it, but it's nice to be able to seize inspiration every once in a while and just run with something new and fresh. 

I woke up one morning recently with a dream still vivid in my mind: I'd dreamed of Adam (yes, the famous one from the Bible) and he was mourning his wife's death--the first death he'd ever seen from old age. 

I don't know if anyone's ever done this angle before (though I'd be willing to bet that they have) but I thought I'd give it a try. Its earthiness and direct-ness reminds me quite a bit of Frederick Beuchner, actually (which is a high compliment, in my mind). Anyway, if I ever finish it, I've definitely got some markets (some paying and some not paying) that I'll be sending it off to. 

5 comments:

Sensuous Wife said...

he was mourning his wife's death--the first death he'd ever seen from old age.

Mmmgh.
Poignant image.


Yes, please do write that.
(and let me take a peek!)

Matt C. said...

Hmmm.... the last CD by Daniel Amos was called "Mr. Beuchner Dream". But it wasn't about Adam. Interesting.

I like the idea of this story. You kind of have to wonder if that was the moment that Adam realized the full weight of the fall. If he had just spoke up back in the garden, this would have never happened. Sure, there was murder in the world at that time (or was there? I can't recall which happened first), but to watch someone just die from old age for he first time, that has to weigh on you....

M. Lawrence Key said...

I plan to take another look at it once I get a bit more freed up with a couple other writing projects going on. If/when I get it published, I'll post a link to it here in the blog (but if you want, I'll send anybody who wants the story before that)

M. Lawrence Key said...

Matt, thanks for the comment.

Yes, murder had been seen before--but not death from old age.

Anyway, I definitely plan on exploring it further in the near future. I'll let you know when it's finished (and hopefully gets published)

Anonymous said...

Nice idea, Micah. Very moving.

I heard a program on NPR about 6 or 7 years ago. It was a fictional narrative by Cain, who was over 800 years old at the time. He lived in a world filled with great civilizations, all descended from his parents.

There had been so many generations since he killed Abel that it seemed more legendary than historical. Indeed, it had been so many years that he had to wonder if it were real when he thought about it himself. He was reflecting on the death of his brother and the terrible life he led afterwards. As he faced his own mortality, he lived in a world where the most important event of his own life was so long ago that it might as well have never happened.

Very interesting stuff.