Fofo Xuxu: Blog

I recently helped an old friend in Germany to access SOL, specifically my story "Where the Mountain Rises." He sent me an email which I have translated and would like to share it with readers:

I see great analogies in your story to the reality in Germany (possibly also to the USA). The protagonists have bravely fought their way to the hut, but what comes next?
To me, the story makes a rather pessimistic impression, because exactly what the content describes on a "small scale" is happening here in Germany on a "big scale" - namely the decline of an entire country. I don't expect anything good for Germany anymore - only chaos and decline, murder and manslaughter. Greed for money and striving for power are to blame for this. And yet it would be so easy to live together.
There are not enough mountain huts here where decent people can eventually flee.
Perhaps it is a good thing that I am already so old and do not have to live to see the coming misery. Please don't think that I'm depressed, but I'm not optimistic either. I make the best of everything that happens to me..... Or to put it another way:
"It doesn't matter how old you are, but how you are old." (A wise man once said that.)
These are my thoughts that spontaneously went through my head at the end of reading your story.

I just finished reading the book “1177 B.C. The Year Civilization Collapsed” written by Eric H. Cline, anthropologist and archaeologist. He draws from a wide source of research and studies to reach plausible explanations about what happened over 3200 years ago to peoples from whom many of us are descendants or beneficiaries of a cultural heritage. He concludes his work by asking the salient question “what happens after civilizations collapse, beyond the collapse.”
In my story “Where the Mountain Rises,” I tried to put together a scenario to answer that question within the context of our current civilization and conditions, presenting a highly probable cause for destruction, and seeking possible solutions for survival and ultimately renewal.
Whereas Eric Cline’s book is non-fiction based on academic and ancient historical facts, my story is pure fiction within the realm of reality, and it will not put you to sleep.

Readers have asked me, who is Xuxa, in reference to the “party music by Xuxa” mentioned in Chapter One. She is a Brazilian actress and singer. My kids grew up in Brazil with her songs, movies, and television presentations. Children’s parties were not complete without music by Xuxa. Adults - including myself - did aerobics to the lively music by Xuxa. From 1991 to 1993, Xuxa put smiles on kids' faces with a daily show in the USA. Her personality as well as her songs are contagious to this day. Check for yourselves: Xuxa - "Ilariê" (1990) - MDA Telethon (youtube.com).

A kind reader told me about the site Finestories where the rumble-tumble of sex is not allowed and attracts those readers who avoid SOL like some people do when they pass by a porn shop. Whatever the reason, the reader suggested that I post “Listen to the Whispers” on Finestories and offer discerning readers the chance to access and enjoy it, thus garnering a wider audience. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

After I finished writing a story for my grandkids, which they adorned, I checked the statistics here on SOL. Out of roughly 57,000 stories, there are only 57 that are tagged as Fairy Tales with no sex; of these, 23 are in the Fantasies genre.
My story is unique because it has pixies and peskies and three human kids who discover a world of mystery and magic.
I have decided to take a gamble and post it here on SOL in case any of you readers want to enjoy a moment of fantasy. You can also share it with your grandkids. They might adore you for it, too.