Wednesday, November 16, 2011 0 comentários

Forum English Literature & Culture

Here's the poster for the event that will take place tomorrow and Friday at UFRN. Dr Sandra Erickson is in charge of it, and all lovers of Literature (& culture, of course) are invited.


Tuesday, November 15, 2011 0 comentários

We just can't get enough!

Take a look at some awesome flash stories written by UFRN students from Currais Novos. The writers' advisor is Professor Jennifer Sarah Cooper, our partner in the Creative Writing project. We value your opinion, dear reader, so make sure you leave a comment, ok?


THE STALL
It’s 3am. Market Day. Vendors sleeping in the street begin to wake. One man called Biliard is sleeping on the sidewalk. At the fair there are many things to occupy people’s attention. They come to buy. To sell. To meet friends. There is loud music. And Giliard continues sleeping. At 11:00am Giliard wakes up. His stall has vanished. He asks everyone. Nobody has seen anything. He realizes that he has just lost his stall, but not the items in it. So, he takes his things. Puts them on a cart and this is the day Giliard sells everything.

Lidiane Cristina de Souza


GOSSIP
Late afternoon.  Groups of five or six gather on sidewalks to gossip. The neighborhood has a neighbor that cause trouble. She's cause trouble. It already fought with the neighbor of the front, attacking for  words. Since this day they do not talk one with the other. Gossip is always the main subject of these people. There is a lot of gossip since the privacy of its families of subjects as infidelity of couples. I think that these people could do something more important with their lives of what living gossiping. It is so good help to fellow creatures, living in harmony always.

Maria Suely Dantas Gomes


NOISY
My neighborhood is very noisy, because of people with intellect problems and alcoholics. They cause many disturbs, but sometimes they are funnys. There is a boy that live with her mother, she is divorce and she has a love affair with a married man. All the neighbors know of love affair, inclusively her son. He has problems intellect and all night is very noisy, because the boy shout in middle of street that the mother is girlfriend of married man. The situation is funny, because the married man live near, then is funny to see the labor for that the wife not suspect.

Ionara Monick Dias De Medeiros


AN EVENT SAD BUT TRUE
In my neighborhood there are many drug addicts, which the makes neighborhood dangerous. I Live life as God permits. I believe I will live there for a long time, but always safe at home.a few days, tried to break into my house late at night, I e my wife we were sleeping. The neighbors called the police, but nothing serious happened. The day after the attempt, I changed the locks and put grid in order to protect I and my wife, since we spend the day out, and come back home at night.

Dailton Santos
0 comentários

And the Oscar for Best Flash Fiction goes to...

Here are they; the authors of the best story this time, according to their own classmates and other ff readers on the web. Congrats, folks! Write on!



You’ll never be the same
9h03 am. I was supposed to be working like every other day, but instead I hear a big crash over my head. People cry, asking for help. I can’t see anything besides the endless number of bodies. The whole room smells like death. I try to move, I can’t. The rescue squad gets in, bringing hope to the faces around. One, two.. I can’t count anymore. Why are them going straight to the others while I'm still here? A voice on my mind: “it’s procedure giving attention to the ones you can still save...”
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 0 comentários

Do it again: vote for your favorite piece of flash fiction

Here's the latest flash fiction production we got from our students of Letras. Read it all and vote for the one you like better. We'll let the world know the names of the authors of the best story in a few days. Make sure you browse the blog again soon, then.

You’ll never be the same
9h03 am. I was supposed to be working like every other day, but instead I hear a big crash over my head. People cry, asking for help. I can’t see anything besides the endless number of bodies. The whole room smells like death. I try to move, I can’t. The rescue squad gets in, bringing hope to the faces around. One, two.. I can’t count anymore. Why are them going straight to the others while I'm still here? A voice on my mind: “it’s procedure giving attention to the ones you can still save...”

The shadow of a secret
“I love you like I never did before”. Denny whispered.“I also love you but my father would never allow us to be together!”. Khristie sighed. “My mother hates your family, specially your father. If she knew you’re carrying my baby she could even die of discontentment”. Someone screams. “Khristie, where are you? Please Don’t tell me you’re with that boy!”. “Your father! Our only opportunity to scape is now!” They ran away, moved to a country nearby and started a new life with their baby, totally unaware of the fact that they were siblings.

A Disturbing Discovery
She ran as fast as she could, screaming for help, but it wasn’t enough. The man grabbed her arm and pulled her closer, saying: “calm down, honey! I just want to remind you that you should never trust someone you’ve just met!”. Scared, she fiercely replied: “I don’t know you! Leave me alone! Let go of me!”. Then, the man, with watered eyes, answered: “It’s not your fault, honey... You can’t remember because you suffer from recent memory loss, that’s why I came back to warn you. Listen, Lisa, I’m your father!”. “Father!...How!?...You!??... Who are you?! Release me!”.

The Other
Are we alone, indeed?
It was midnight, she listened something tapping the door. She opened it but there was nothing. It knocked again. She opened it. He was there. She held him tight, kissed him. They came in. He took her hand and looking in her eyes, said: I am glad War is gone, I love you. She smiled and they were to bed. At morning he was not there. Late she received a letter telling her husband has died. She cried, when she looked into the mirror he was there. She realizes he’ll never let her alone.

Unforgettable dinner
He was smiling at her. “A date with the most handsome guy in the college. I’m so nervous! I feel like screaming!”, she said to herself. The guy was so romantic, he had prepared them shrimps for dinner. There was also champagne and chocolate cake for dessert. Suddenly, he kindly said: “I can’t wait anymore! I’m gonna kiss your lips now!” and when she kissed him for the first time, she felt butterflies in her belly and she thought: “maybe it wasn’t a good idea to eat those beans at lunch!” She realized that her son was shouting “I wanna see the butterflies mom!”.


Tuesday, October 11, 2011 0 comentários

ECLAE + Flash Fiction


Tomorow, during ECLAE (Encontro das Ciências da Linguagem Aplicadas ao Ensino), Professor Jennifer Sarah Cooper will be talking about our favorite genre, flash fiction. You cannot miss it!

O GÊNERO FLASH FICTION NO ENSINO DE INGÊS COMO LÍNGUA ESTRANGEIRA, by Professor Jennifer Sarah Cooper. Oct 12, 2011 - 11am, sector 2 UFRN, room I-13, within ENSINO DE INGLÊS EM CURSOS DE GRADUAÇÃO EM LETRAS: EXPERIÊNCIAS COM GÊNEROS E GRAMÁTICA SISTÊMICO-FUNCIONAL. 


The complete schedule for ECLAE is available here: http://www.gelne.org.br/Site/Arquivos/VECLAE-ProgramacaoOficial.pdf


Saturday, October 8, 2011 0 comentários

"Heart" got the prize!

People's choice was "Heart", a story about vampires. Here is a picture of the authors with Dr. Weissheimer. Congratulations!



Heart
Their car broke down in the middle of nowhere. Jeff and Lisa ran away because some kind of creature had been chasing them since they left the main road. They saw a gas station nearby and walked toward it. A weird man showed up and offered help, although he had other intentions. The man took them inside the house and invited them to drink some coffee. All of a sudden, he silently took a rusted machete in an attempt to stab them. But it was too late: transformed into vampires, the couple cut the man’s chest and ate his heart.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 0 comentários

New Flash Fiction: vote for the best one!

Heart
Their car broke down in the middle of nowhere. Jeff and Lisa ran away because some kind of creature had been chasing them since they left the main road. They saw a gas station nearby and walked toward it. A weird man showed up and offered help, although he had other intentions. The man took them inside the house and invited them to drink some coffee. All of a sudden, he silently took a rusted machete in an attempt to stab them. But it was too late: transformed into vampires, the couple cut the man’s chest and ate his heart.

The Contrary Of A Wish: A Lie
She knew her son; he would never let her pull that tooth away. She was starting to get really worried, as the flesh around it was turning redder, so she tried one last thing: “The tooth-fairy will take it and leave money under your pillow". Of course, her smart son didn’t believe it, and neither did she – she had never believed this silliness. Nevertheless, what she didn’t know is that, by lying so extravagantly, she had teased the tooth-thief fairy. It was too late by the morning, when she found her son, on the bed, without any teeth.

Genie And The Bottle
“I’m sick and tired of this!”, she yells with her eyes wide open. Would that wish really come true? She waited a little longer. Silence. “Ok, go back to sleep.” She thought to herself. “It’s gonna work, sooner or later. Relax.” In her dreams she could fly away and sleep without any noise the whole night. “People have no idea what really matters in life!” Vince woke her up: “Genie, wake up! The baby is crying again.” Needless to say, as he headed towards the baby, she went downstairs to get the bottle.

The Unusual Observer
He was yanking her heart while a group of people were looking at them. Her life has been in danger for a long time but now there was nothing to do to get away of her fate. He opened her chest and the people around were staring at them like in a dark ritual – yanking people’s heart –, as if it were pretty usual. Suddenly, she peered letting tears fall down and someone came quickly covering her nose with a kind of anesthesia mask and then she fainted. That was the last time that Dr. House saw her green eyes.

No Love story
There’s no worst feeling than realizing you’ve made the wrong choice. In the middle of the endless number of faces you choose the one that’s gonna hurt you the most. The ball had just begun, she was here. I had to know her. The announcement of our engagement was instantly made, but the happiness was soon over. Escaped through the window, my lovely princess disappeared right in front of my eyes. I couldn’t do anything.  I couldn’t believe it.  I looked everywhere but I never saw her again. Cinderella lived happily ever after. I didn’t.
 
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 2 comentários

Bloomsday + Best FlashFiction

During Bloomsday at UFRN last June, our flashwriters received their prizes for "The Left Shoe", a tragic story about a doll in a hangman game. 

It happened at BCZM auditorium, where Dr. Bruce Stewart (University of Ulster) gave a speech on "The Experience of Reality: James Joyce and the Philosophy of Art".

Dr. Janaina Weissheimer was there too, talking about the use of flash fiction in "Letras Course" and Flash Blast.

Here are some pictures taken during the event:

Dr. Weissheimer talks about Flash Fiction in Letras Course
Dr. Stewart and Dr. Weissheimer

And the winners are...


CONGRATULATIONS to Kleiton da Silva, Débora Azevedo, Heryzanya Ramalho e Francisco Cesar de Moura.

Now this is a new semester, so... LET THE WRITING BEGIN!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011 0 comentários

Flash Fiction - Part 3 (Vote for the best one!)

The semester is coming to an end and our flash writers produced a lot of nice, creepy stories. Below, the last stories written. Enjoy the reading and vote (on the left) for the one you consider the best piece of flash fiction.


THE LEFT SHOE
It’s almost done. Bob saw that it’s just missing his left shoe. One of the men is waiting impatiently for the decision. The small one is trying to answer correctly. He is the only one who can save Bob. Here’s the deal: Bob won’t die if that guy gives the right answer, but he has only one more chance. “Electroshock! That’s my answer.” The other man gives him an evil smile and says: “You’re wrong...” Bob has no hope anymore. The guy put on his left shoe. Time to die. It’s hard to be the doll on a hangman game.

Kleiton
Débora
Heryzania
Cesar


URBAN LEGENDS
Samantha just knew as soon as she opened the door that she wasn’t supposed to be there. Even though she could clearly hear her roommate groaning in bed with some random guy, she wouldn't make the mistake of catching their attention - today she would pretend she wasn’t there. Samantha woke up thirty minutes earlier than the usual in the next morning. She looked to her roommate's bed but she couldn't see anything besides a black blanket covering the place where she was supposed to be. Carefully, she took the blanket out and that’s when she saw her. It was a horrible image of blood in a disfigured body. Flesh and viscera scattered everywhere. Samantha turned around trying to reach the door. On the walls, with blood, she saw the words: aren’t you glad you didn’t turn on the lights?

Ingrid
Thais
Ellen
Elciu

OUCH CHARLIE
Charlie woke up and decided to put an end to her suffering. Moving around in that wheelchair was so painful. She couldn’t understand why God had done this to her. At school, the kids would pick on her calling her “Charlie chair”. She killed herself. When she arrived in Heaven, for her surprise, all angels and even God were in wheelchairs too. She asked God what all that meant. God grinned and answered: “ It does not matter how you move or where you go, but what is inside your heart”. Charlie started to cry and then God gave her a second chance back on Earth. From that day on she became a better person.
Caci
Marilia
Ademir
Zilene

THE TEACHER
Those four students couldn’t manage to go home, so the teacher invited them to sleepover in her house. The trip was, like all her classes, incredible funny. When they got to the house... “Teacher, what‘s that creepy room?”. “Please, don’t enter that messy room, ok?”, she answered, smiling, as always. People at school loved to make jokes about her: “She’s always so happy because there’s a secret room in her house where she tortures several people and animals”, so they laughed a lot thinking about this before going to sleep. In the morning, one student woke up earlier and went to the kitchen, in his way, he saw that forbidden room. It was even worse than they thought: glued on the walls, there were hundreds of pictures of a teenager wearing a helmet and she was in the center of it, sitting, rocking her body and listening to a teenager that screamed with a terrible girlish voice - she was a Justin Bieber lover!!

Jonathan
Benvinda
Emanuel
Robson

FROM EYE TO MOUTH
You’re staring at me and I can’t run away. Why do you chase me everywhere I go? I can’t even look at you! Shame on you, piece of dirtiness! Won’t somebody help me? PLEASE!!! Don’t you chase me, get away! I can’t bear this anymore, life is becoming a torture! And don’t you give me that look! Gosh... I feel like Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. This is so stupid, I hate you, though I can’t live without you! But I’m feeling so empty... Oh my! To hell with the diet! I’ll eat you, damn cake... only today!

Amanda
Camila
Daniel

TASTE OF BLOOD
Mellisa is running away from someone or something while the blood of her neck is draining out since that thing bit her in the darkness of her house and she kicked his balls. She breaks a broom in the middle and makes a stake like in “The Vampires Diaries”. Mellisa walks slowly toward the kitchen’s door of the house, which suddenly opens with din; she closes her eyes and sticks in something hard and alive, thus she can feel the blood coming down her fingers. When she opens her eyes her boyfriend looks at her and lets a tear escape.
Jhonatan
Amsterdam Thiago
wallyson

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
A creator decided to create a small ant and he did it. There it was, his little creation running to and fro. When suddenly a huge abyss was dragging everything into it and the little ant was going towards this starving monster. Then, the creator thought to himself; “ How can I save my creation?, If I talk to her, she will not understand me, If I place my hand in front of her, she will climb it up and down and still in danger”. After that he had a great idea; “I know what I will do: I will turn myself into an ant and show my little creation the way out of danger”. Finally, he was devoured in order to save his creation.

Robson
0 comentários

Flash Fiction - Part 2

THE CHOSEN ONE
People running while a person wearing a Voldmort mark shot everywhere. I could hear someone whispering “We are going to attack back in the first possibility”. Then I started to run to a safe place and heard another gunshot. I looked back and saw two men with their firearm pointed to me; suddenly I noticed I had a gun in my hand and discharged it against them, so they were gone. I was wearing the Voldmort mask. I started to walk but I fell down; there was a hole in my chest. Suddenly I woke up. I was safe in Hogwarts.

FIGHTING AGAINST THE FEAR
Sitting down firmly on the seat. I won´t fall this time... Dad is not here to help me, but it is ok. It is time to stop with all this silly fear. The guys had already mocked me enough. I am old enough to do this. I can do this, it is just a matter of balance. One foot on the pedal, the other still on the ground. Looking at the skyline. Holding the handlebars with ease. Feeling the emotion. Accelerating loud and, at age 30, taking the Harley Davidson out of the garage for the first time.

MERCY
She found him trying to hide himself in the living room. Although he begged for his life, claiming he was the wrong person, she shot him in the head. Agent Lewis had long forgotten the meaning of “mercy”. Tropa de Elite would be considered a fairy tale compared to the horror she faced as an FBI agent.  She headed back to the police station and, when her boss asked about the raid, she answered: “the bad guy was taken out”. “What bad guy? No! You shouldn't have done that! He was an undercover agent, not a mobster!” The boss looked flushed with anger, he was yelling at her, saying she should have reported the situation, the instructions were clear: “recognize the place”. It wasn’t supposed to be an extermination action!

THE SLEEPY PRINCESS
This dream was like reality and that princess was with the one she loved. She was sleeping alone and felt like her boyfriend was with her. He broke her heart and the dreadful sadness turned the shiny princess into a cold girl who walked around wondering when her life was going to end. Frederick Charles, one of her admirers, suggested a solution: a sleepy pendant - a magical artifact that would take the poor lonely princess into a deep sleep, always dreaming the most incredible plots, in which, for sure, her lover would be. Once she was asleep, she began to dream about a knight who was coming towards her, riding a sleek black horse. There wasn’t much she could do while she was drowning, forever.

DEAD OR ALIVE
He was running like crazy. His heart was beating fast. His blood was shedding on the floor from the wound in his chest. He was losing everything he worked hard to have. He could feel the murderer getting closer, but there was no way out. “I can’t die here!”, he thought to himself. Before he could react, a bullet pierced his leg, he fell on his knees and saw the gun pointed to his head. “Please, don’t kill me!” he shouted. “THIS CAN’T BE THE END!” Suddenly his screams were abruptly interrupted by a familiar voice. “Don’t make so much noise, Jim!” his mom said.  “Can’t you play video games like a normal person just for a change?”
 
AFTER 30 SECONDS OF SILENCE
It was one month together and they were discussing for almost 30 minutes. It started in the restaurant, all because of one stupid thing. Romeo was dizzy because he has drunk four glasses of wine and Juliet was bored with everything. Suddenly, in the corner of her eyes, she saw a bright light shining. Juliet tried to yell but there wasn’t time: a big truck crashed into their car, which flipped over several times. Romeo opened his eyes and just saw darkness around, searching for her with one hand only. “Juliet you’re still here?”. He found Juliet’s hand and hugged her body tightly like they ever did it. They were found in the morning when the ambulance came and found them dead among their blood and the remains of an old machine.

LETHAL LOVE
He looks at her body: it doesn’t move. She’s dead. “Juliet! What did you do?” He screams. Silence. He takes a bottle that he was carrying and drinks the poison. “I’m coming, my love! We’re going to a place where no one will separate us. We’ll, finally, live our love forever!” He lies besides her. The audience applauds strongly: “Bravo!” The curtain falls. Jane gets up saying “Good job, Frank! You were great!” Looking at the bottle on his hand, she whispers: “Frank! What did you do?” The curtain rises again. That was not the correct bottle…
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 2 comentários

Flash Fiction - Part 1

PROM DISASTER
Sitting on that white seat, she thinks how come she could be living such situation. It was prom night. Gorgeous on that dress, and everyone thought the same thing. Specially him. Some glances were exchanged, and few hours later, the magic moment happened. She still remembers he smelled like orange tic tac. What she didn’t imagine was that, some weeks later, she would be sitting there, feeling a yellow flow coming from her inside. One stripe… if the second one appears, her life would be irremediably changed. Another stripe. No more brilliant future or career, life is over, test was positive. At least a new life was beginning.

Amanda Tavares
Daniel Medeiros
Camila Cadete


BLACK DAY
Kin opens her eyes and wakes up frightened: it’s dark everywhere! Her heart beats faster...  There’s a weird sound of steps downstairs. She jumps out of bed. Her hands recognized a chair, a bookcase, the bedroom wall. ‘Who’s there?’. Silence. She takes courage, opens the door and starts to walk. Suddenly, Kin hears a noise: ‘Hey!’. One step back and she rolls down the wooden stairs. Her body hurts and now those steps are getting closer. There’s nothing she can do. ‘Kin, are you okay? It’s Debbie. I lost Oprah because of this blackout!’. Blackouts turns mad anyone.

Kleiton da Silva
Débora Azevedo
Heryzanya Ramalho
Francisco Cesar de Moura


THE INTERVIEW
The building’s door stood ajar stained of blood; he could see fingerprints of blood everywhere. The street was empty. He stopped next to the door and tried to peek but saw nothing. He came in feeling shiver on his bones. In the dark he felt figures moving around him. He tried to catch anything but without success and started to run for the place, desperate like a hurricane, trying to find someone real, but nobody was there, then he went back door totally afraid and he would never return to that place again. People in the building just peeped at him to do it and they kept seated waiting their time for the job interview.

Amsterdam Thiago de Lima
Jhonatan da Cruz


DIRTY JOB
He grabbed a knife and, while staring at the sharp blade, mumbled to himself: “Time has come”. Images from the moments before flashed across his mind and he found it hard to believe that what was once a celebration could have such disgusting outcome. “It’s a dirty job but I gotta do it. There’s no way out”. Cold Sunday night. Desert streets. Hoping to make it as quick and painless as possible, his wet hands finally held firmly the knife-handle. “I’ve put this off for too long. I'd better get this started now”. Steps coming from downstairs stopped him from the first move. Somebody approaching. “I’m not alone. Would somebody out there give me a hand and stop all this pain?”. Suddenly, his girlfriend walked through the kitchen door. Shocked, she said: “Unbelievable! Are you still doing the dishes?”.

Marília Caldas
Caci Pessôa
Ademir de Oliveira
Zilene de Castro



AS THE FIRST SCHOOL DAY
Falling on the ground, Labinnah, a lunatic, untied himself and went out of his cell, remembering what they’ve said: “this day is his last”. Two men down the corridor saw what had happened and, carrying syringes, approached the madman... He woke up and realized where he was: solitary confinement. In complete darkness, he came up with a bright idea and hid himself behind the door; when somebody opened it, after hours of anxiousness, a bloody scene began: he fiercely attacked his visitor – sadly, only when it was all done, he could see who had entered the room. “Mo- mother...?”.

Róbson Diniz
Benvinda Iê
Jonathan Rocha


HELLBOY
“What’s Heaven like?” Cora asked timidly to the angel standing next to her bed. Pleased, he said friendly: “It’s amazing, you don’t have to worry about anything”. Suddenly, the angel got even closer to her and laughed ironically with a disgusting face. Very scared, Cora asked abruptly: “What’s so funny?” Her poor heart trembled. “That’s simple”- he said - “That’s not where I’m gonna take you. So, do you already have your grave?’’. Then nobody could hear Cora’s horrifying scream as the angel cut her throat precisely and dragged her to hell.

Ellen Tomás
Hélciu Ferreira
Ingrid Braga
Thaís Gurgel


CATHY’S DEATH
Cathy’s eyes were afflicted by the panic that they showed. It was like she never had felt so scared before. And there alone knowing that in any moment he’ll find her and probably break her bones or make something worse. She didn’t know where she could go anymore; so, slowly, she went out of the bathroom and tried to find a way to flee from that house and maybe find someone that could help her. When she took the knob of the door he suddenly appeared and cut her hand out and she fell down. Cathy woke up tied in a chair and saw that the man was taking a knife to kill her, so she began to yell as loud as she could but nobody heard her. The man went and raised the knife and she just closed her eyes... tin tin tin tin she opened her eyes: it was 7:00 A.M. It was just a nightmare.

Wallyson de Souza
Emanuel Arquileu
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 0 comentários

Introducing the new Flashwriters


Here are the new flashwriters, 2011.1 term, all of them freshmen at UFRN's Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literature.

In the picture you see Paulo, Emanuel, Robson, Daniel, Hélciu, Wallyson, Jhonatan, Jonathan (red t-shirt), Thaís, Kleiton, Thiago, Ellen, César, Amanda, Camila, Luiz, Benvinda (colorful dress), Heryzânia (pink blouse), Marília, Ingrid, Débora, Zilene, Caci.

They have already started writing their pieces of flash fiction, which will soon be published here!
 
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