michaeljasper.net
I'd never had an editor actually ask me for a story based on my so-called "reputation" before, but that's exactly what happened when Kathy Sedia emailed me and asked for a story for her anthology she was co-editing with Ed McFadden.
The concept for the antho was cool — imagine our country as two countries, after all the "blue states" from the last election seceded and made a new country.
I tried to set this one up as a sort of folk tale or fairy tale, with little dialogue. It was a fun challenge, and I like it quite a bit.
"This Divided Land" first appeared in the anthology Jigsaw Nation in 2006.
| This Divided Land Once upon a time, not long from now, there lived two people who had fallen in love. Alan was from the northeastern mountains, and Zack was from the Midwestern flatlands. They met in the virtual world long before they ever met in person, but by their third shared linkup, each knew he'd found the person he'd been seeking all his life. Unfortunately, the new border separated them. Like most of his peers, Alan was too poor from a raft of college loans and the oppressive taxes to move away from his parents' three-room home just yet, while Zack still enjoyed the comforts of his family's sprawling house in the gated community in the suburbs. They were young, foolish, and in love, a potentially lethal mix for two men in this divided land. A typical night together for them consisted of a quiet room, a screen, a connection, and a touchpad. Alan would often be doing something else on his system at the same time -- traversing another world with a troupe of disparate peoples from around the globe, writing to one of his aunts, watching music, processing his photos of black mountains and frozen streams -- while Zack was content just to chat with Alan; he had to stay focused and keep one eye on his bedroom door, should his father decide to check on him without knocking. The connection he and Alan shared was hacked and encrypted, but Daddy paid the bill. Weeks passed, and Alan, the adventurous one, grew tired of the lack of contact. He suggested they meet halfway between the mountains and the plains, at the border. Zack, the timid one, went silent for a few days after that, making Alan wonder if he'd gone too far too fast. He would later learn that Zack's father had gotten the monthly tracking statement from the sub-department of Government information, letting him know exactly where every member of the family had visited in the virtual world on his house's various connections. Daddy had wanted to know about a certain address in the mountains that had been linked to countless times in the past few weeks. Zack lost his touchpad for that, and he had to cajole a new one from his mother on the sly. Thanks to a tip from one Alan's online friends, he found a new connection to hack into. The setback had only made both of them more determined to meet at the border. Continued...
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What the critics are saying: "'This Divided Land' by Michael Jasper tells the dangerous journey two lovers will take to be with one another. Zack and Alan have only ever corresponded over computer screens, but they've finally decided to face their fears, face the harsh government controlling the roads and borders, face their parents' disappointment, and go in search of true love. From the start, both know it's not going to be an easy task. Jasper handles both Zack's and Alan's viewpoint well, telling each boy's story and giving just enough reason for sympathy votes. Of all the stories in Jigsaw Nation, this was the one that felt the realest, and maybe that's why it had such a strong impact on this reader. Well recommended." "Michael Jasper turns a story of unrequited gay love in "This Divided Land" into a fairy tale (no pun intended) through a carefully measured Fairy Godmother narrative voice." |
