Very simple ambient piano with a focus on the space between notes. Obviously, this is a musical response to loss in my own life.
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"When Everyone Is Gone" by Tom Fasano - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.tomfasano.com
Classic old Ford jalopy I spotted on this sunshiny day. Wish I could say this was my new cool ride.
As I approached the pair of drainage pipes that slipped beneath the road, I couldn’t help but marvel at the transformation of what was once a flowing river or lively creek bed. Even in Florida, the drought had left its mark, reducing the once vibrant waterway to a mere whisper of its former self. Venturing further, I found the landscape shifting to a swampier terrain, a place that held promise for exploration and discovery.
The saw palmetto, abundant in Florida’s off-trail areas, surrounded me as I moved cautiously. One misstep, a stumble over the scattered leaves, and I might have broken my ankle. The fallen foliage was a reminder of the passage of time; in Florida, the leaves fell in February and March, blanketing the ground in a brittle, crackling layer. The crunch of each step was the only sound in the stillness that enveloped the desolate expanse.
The silence was profound, interrupted only by the occasional rustle of an armadillo. The absence of human presence in this secluded corner of the world was palpable. Aware of the restrictions against firearms in the area, I clutched my Louisville Slugger, ready to use it for knocking and defense if the situation called for it. I mused that perhaps even Sasquatch was startled by my presence, and that soon, they might coin a name for the newcomer in their domain.
In this quiet, forgotten place, I stood at the edge of the unknown, poised to uncover the secrets hidden within the hushed wilderness.
Tim Fasano dedicated twelve years of his life to the pursuit of Bigfoot in the wild swamps of Florida. His search yielded countless experiences, all of which he meticulously documented in typed journals and on his YouTube channel. This post is part of an ongoing publication project.
My flagship typewriter: a Woodstock No. 5 from 1916. This WWI-era machine still works perfectly over a hundred years later. Amazing!
To truly comprehend the origins of this notorious prank, we must first acquaint ourselves with the figure of John Partridge. In the early 1700s, almanacs reigned supreme as the most popular form of literature, overflowing with predictions for the upcoming year. Partridge was an astrologer who frequently published his own almanacs, though many of his predictions proved to be woefully inaccurate. Notably, in 1708, Partridge predicted that a fever would sweep through London in early April.
Shortly after Partridge’s prediction was published, Jonathan Swift, writing under the pseudonym of Isaac Bickerstaff, released his own almanac. In it, Bickerstaff made the audacious claim that on March 29th, precisely at 11pm, Partridge would succumb to “a raging fever.” This proclamation provoked both shock and amusement among Londoners. Partridge himself denounced Bickerstaff as a fraud, insisting that his prediction would prove to be false: “His whole Design was nothing but Deceit. The End of March will plainly show the Cheat.”
All of London eagerly awaited the fateful day, wondering whether Bickerstaff’s prediction would come true. When March 29th arrived, Bickerstaff released an elegantly printed elegy in a black frame, announcing that Partridge had indeed died. The elegy went on to describe Partridge as a “cobbler, Starmonger and Quack.” According to Bickerstaff, he had even visited Partridge on his deathbed, where the latter had confessed to being a fraud who wrote predictions only to support his wife.
A pamphlet called The Accomplishment of the First of Mr. Bickerstaff’s Predictions began to circulate around London, claiming that Partridge had indeed died on March 29th, but a few hours earlier than the predicted time of 11pm. The pamphlet stated that Partridge had died at 7:05pm instead. Word of this quickly spread, and by April 1st, most people in London believed that Partridge had truly passed away as Bickerstaff had predicted.
However, Partridge was very much alive on April 1st, 1708. He was awoken that morning by a sexton who asked if there were any orders for his funeral sermon. Later, as Partridge walked down the street, people stared at him in confusion, with some even mistaking him for a deceased relative. Furious at this turn of events, Partridge printed his own pamphlet insisting that he was alive and that Bickerstaff was the real fraud. Bickerstaff retaliated by claiming that Partridge was obviously dead, as no living man could have penned the rubbish that appeared in his last almanac. Bickerstaff even claimed that Partridge’s own wife had admitted that her husband had “neither life nor soul.”
Despite Partridge’s insistence that he was still alive, the joke persisted well beyond April Fool’s Day. In fact, contemporary writers continued to publish stories about Partridge’s death for years to come. While Partridge did survive to experience Swift’s satire, he eventually stopped publishing his almanacs and ultimately passed away in 1714.
As I sauntered into the musty thrift store, I didn’t expect to lay eyes on something so magnificent – a typewriter. Not just any typewriter, mind you, but a bona fide Royal De Luxe portable. The kind that’s beloved by typewriter connoisseurs worldwide. I had to have it.
The price tag was a little steep, a cool $58, but my heart was set on it. After all, when you stumble upon a gem like this, you don’t let a few dollars stand in the way of true love. So I snatched it up and held it close to my chest, feeling the weight of history in my hands.
It turns out, there’s a deadly flaw in the escapement – it skips, threatening to render this beauty useless.
My heart sank as I realized that this prized possession may only serve as mere decoration. And to add insult to injury, the shift key was proving to be a tough nut to crack. I should’ve scrutinized this more closely when I was perusing the thrift store, but alas, my excitement got the best of me.
I may have to face the hard truth that this Royal Deluxe will only ever grace my shelf, never to be used for its true purpose. But, as they say, such is life. And who knows, maybe there’s a typewriter repair wizard out there who can work their magic and bring this machine back to life.
Tom Fasano
Recent Posts
Typewriter Repair Shop Closing
Ruben Flores, owner of a family typewriter repair shop since 1962, moved his business home after facing a 200% rent increase.Typewriter Series Poem #1
The idea behind this project is to use a typewriter to type all the poems in my present collection, then post them to this site.More Thoughts on Photography
A short think-piece about my experiences and disappointments taking photographs going back to the 1980s.Birthday Trip to the Museum
For my birthday, Sandy accompanied me to the Benton Museum of Art on the campus of Pomona College, where we took in several exhibits.My Life (So Far) as a Street Photographer
More mumblings and grumblings about a stream of disappointments concerning photography going back to the 1980s.
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