The night we got Anna Fundered

October 9, 2021 at 11:22 am | Posted in Short Story | Leave a comment
Tags: Anna Funder, book, creative writing, dream, East Berlin, editing, literature, Melbourne, Stasiland, storytelling, success, writing

It’s decades ago.

My windcheater says The University of Melbourne.

But I’m not so sure.

My creative writing thesis is mired in direlogue:

‘How do I fuckn know what shelias bloody think?!’

Tutorial night.

My turn to bring the cheese.

I spend up in Carlton, hoping to dazzle with my themes.

I should’ve gone for wine.

The room is nice.

Marion May calms hackles with elan.

Students accrete.

One has taken a plastic figurine to various nightclubs.

Interesting.

Another is doing a fading empire thing with a young boy.

Boring, and a bit off.

I’m still smacking away at 13 dystopian chapters.

So vexed, I hand out copies of my most cursed tract.

We go through.

Some ideas. Few solutions. More work.

After 2 more desultory outings, it’s Anna’s turn.

I don’t know Anna.

Marion May says her draft’s going so well, there’s already publisher interest.

Eyebrows climb over the platter.

In the spirit of socialism I’m yet to find on campus, I resolve to help Anna however I can.

She starts to read.

A girl is on a train to East Berlin. With a crippling hangover from her farewell bash …

The room stills.

Anna narrates to a group transfixed.

With jealous admiration, I wait for the bit she’s having trouble with. Any bit.

How I wish my best shit were half as good as her bad!

She reads without pride.

Apparently tired after a day’s work.

At the end, our awed silence repels 2 cheese knives.

Until I blurt, ‘Well, that obviously needs a complete rewrite. How can we help?’

The group titters. Tears of envy plinking our drinks.

The tutorial ends.

Anna flies to unknowable heights.

When Stasiland comes out, I grab a copy.

It’s all there.

Magnificent.

Twenty years later, I’m still working my manuscript.

But once upon a time,

I shared a space with greatness.

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