Four stories in 20 minutes!
At the April meeting of Gulf Coast Writers, everyone was talking at once. Amazingly, the result was not chaos. Four teams of writers collaborated to create stories based on lyrics from the American songbook of the 1970s. Members were given just 20 minutes to craft a story based on their song assignment. Take a look at the results, below. Teamwork opportunities will continue in future meetings. We are the new Gulf Coast Writers!
“Piano Man” lyrics
It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There’s an old man sitting next to me
Makin’ love to his tonic and gin
He says, “Son, can you play me a memory?
I’m not really sure how it goes
But it’s sad and it’s sweet, and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man’s clothes”
La, la, la, de, de, da
La, la, de, de, da, da, da
Sing us a song, you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
We’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feelin’ alright
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he’s quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there’s someplace that he’d rather be
He says, “Bill, I believe this is killing me”
As a smile ran away from his face
“Well, I’m sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place”
Oh, la, la, la, de, de, da
La, la, de, de, da, da, da
Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he’s talkin’ with Davy, who’s still in the Navy
And probably will be for life
And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it’s better than drinkin’ alone
Just sing
Sing us a song, you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feelin’ alright
It’s a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
‘Cause he knows that it’s me they’ve been comin’ to see
To forget about life for a while
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, “Man, what are you doin’ here?”
Oh, la, la, la, de, de, da
La, la, de, de, da, da, da
Sing us a song, you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feelin’ alright
“Piano Man” story
By Tessa Quinones, Ginger Wakem, Richard Allen, Thekla Fagerlie-Madsen
Story title: “Spy in Every Crowd”
Contrary to the song, it was NOT a typical 9 o’clock on a Saturday. I watched the waitress drop a beer on the piano bar as Billy launched into a new song and eyed my target. Everyone watched her sashay back. She leaned her moneymakers into the bar and whispered, “Yeah, it’s going down now.”
Davy Shapiro, the radioman on the USS Reagan, with the most advanced encrypted communications device, bumped into Paul, spilling his drink.
Davy slipped a thumb drive into Paul’s pocket as concerned regulars leapt away and the waitress sprang forward to mop up the spill.
I gave the stoned businessman a nod. He slowly stood up and followed Paul’s exit.
The old man sitting next to him making love to his tonic and gin sobered and clapped handcuffs on Davy’s wrist with a raspy, “It’s over.”
