Comments on: A FAMILIAR FACE • by Frank Byrns

By: gay

gay — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:06:27 +0000

Love the story.

By: Patricia J. Hale

Patricia J. Hale — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:44:49 +0000

Well written flash fable.

By: Roberta SchulbergGoro

Roberta SchulbergGoro — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:50:51 +0000

Anil- “Individualism” has had several interpretations. The one I was brought up on and taught in school in N.Y.C. was that the particular individual needs of separate persons must be considered in making decisions, not just the mass of people in general, differences should be allowable, and that lawful differences must be respected. It was not taught as everyone separate and for himself alone. I guess in that small town the policeman assumed neighbors knew eachother well. In a very large city, such as N.Y.C., where I am originally from, such assumptions can’t be made.

By: Anil Siqueira

Anil Siqueira — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:06:38 +0000

This “telling” (preachy??) incident is reflective of (an indictment of?) the “modernism”, and its concomitant “individualism”, that has taken root in most of the world.

Not too long ago (a generation? two?) and, still, in the part of the world I come from, India, it was and is not uncommon to break bad news to someone who would possibly be close enough to the family so that support (emotional, etc.) would be at hand.
Roberta’s comment says it all. As does Alan’s.

By: Erin

Erin — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:55:19 +0000

Really good story, Frank. It rang true — both the sad parts and the hopeful parts. I enjoyed it a lot.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:31:57 +0000

A bit preachy.

By: Familiar Faces | Meanwhile...

Familiar Faces | Meanwhile... — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:52:19 +0000

[...] I almost missed it, since it went up over the weekend, but Frank has an excellent new story up over at Every Day Fiction – check it out. [...]

By: dj barber

dj barber — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:46:31 +0000

Very good stuff, Frank.

–dj

By: Hasmita

Hasmita — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:02:54 +0000

This was very good. Brought out the complexity of the situation in so few words. I felt Satisfied reading this, as it moves beyond the simple plot – gives a something extra that I didn’t see coming, and yet was so true. Well done. Five from me, after a long time on EDF.

By: Frank Byrns

Frank Byrns — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:03:24 +0000

@ Roberta, Alan -

When I was a kid, the man that lived across the street from us was killed in a car accident. The highway patrolman who came to deliver the sad news to the man’s wife came to our house first to ask my mom to accompany him over there, thinking that a familiar face would help soften the blow. (Even though we didn’t know that family well – they had just moved in.) That day has stuck in my mind, obviously.

Thanks for the comments, everyone. Glad you liked it.