I’m way past overdue for this project but the road trip up north finally gave me an opportunity to take some July photographs of some of the places which inspired scenes in my first short story publication, Tearing Down Tuesday.
The Tinkerin’ Woman’s Shop: Audrey Young, Owner
Kyle’s parent figure of sorts is Audrey Young. She owns a sort of salvage and fix it shop headquartered out of a white barn on her property. The Murphy Family Barn in this shot is one half of the inspiration. It is actually an old hay and livestock barn.
The Seven Days of the Week in Tearing Down Tuesday make their home in the Tinkerin’ Woman’s Shop.
The Murphy Farm Tool Shed
The Tool Shed in this shot represents the other half of the inspiration for The Tinkerin’ Woman’s Shop. Oddly enough, my Uncle Paul had this John Deere Gator in for work, so you could say this gives a pretty good impression of what I saw in my mind when I created the John Deere Farmerbot Model 805, aka Tuesday.
I love the clutter of this space and the mingling of dirt, grease and other scents. You could hear the methodic beat of the electric fence generator in the background.
Lake Murphy, DeKalb Co, Missouri
In the story our protag, Kyle Hackshaw, reaches a decision point while swimming in a rock quarry pool. This lake inspired that scene, even if it is not a quarry. I think Kyle would have seen the same sort of Simpson’s July Summer Sky.
We used to swim in that lake but the algae blooms and snakes have made that untennable.
Overall Impression
I have mostly positive memories of my summers on the Murphy Family Farm. My Uncle Paul and Uncle Mike still farm up there and while things are a bit worn, the place still feels comfortable and welcoming to me. Strange that I’d set such a dark story in a place of incredible beauty.
To my eyes, the photographs, especially the emerald landscape against the brilliant blue sky, represent what Missouri truly is, a farming state with a culture and history worth retelling in fiction. The sad thing is that these days, most science fiction writers would be quietly appalled at the lack of bandwidth, Starbucks and the like in this environment.
I’ll try to post more photos this week along with other photos of the road trip.
Respects,
Steven Francis Murphy
Author of The Limb Knitter and Tearing Down Tuesday
North Kansas City, Missouri
10 comments
July 27, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Roslyn
There have always been snakes up at the lake even when you were a kid. It is just one of those things said to discourage other people from using the lake. It would be more friendly if used more by others.
Mom
July 27, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Berry
That’s what it’s all about right there, Murph. Glad you’re working in such fertile territory, too.
That top photo is my favorite.
July 27, 2009 at 10:15 pm
sfmurphy1971
Well Mom, I suppose the bit about Kyle swimming with the snakes is accurate then. I never encountered any in my years up there. It’d be nice if they’d treat the algae blooms but I don’t see that happening.
Berry, it is fertile territory but I wonder if science fiction really gives a shit about it anymore? If a story is set in the American Midwest, it is invariably a negative one.
Still, they are decent shots.
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
July 28, 2009 at 3:27 am
yankeedog
Great shots, and yes, in my mind’s eye I can see those places in TDT.
That’s definitely a Midwestern barn and tool shed-part ‘Green Acres’, part ‘Possum Lodge’.
Are there fish in Lake Murphy? Looks like one could snag a bullhead or bluegill in there.
July 28, 2009 at 4:11 am
Therbs
I think that’s why I felt a bit of Heinlein in your TDT landscape, including the tinker shop. Reminded me of how he’d describe a rural landscape and its characters. That tool shed would look right at home on any Oz farm.
Except it doesn’t have an old fridge for the beers.
Good pics.
July 28, 2009 at 4:26 am
bangarrr
I’ve got to agree with what’s been said, great shots and yes you can see where and how they fit in with Tuesday.
July 28, 2009 at 5:56 am
chazfh
Great shots Murph, good taste of the rural landscape.
Don’t know why you’re afraid the swimming snakes, it’s not like they’re as dangerous as the ones we have down here!
July 28, 2009 at 2:14 pm
sfmurphy1971
YD, there are definitely fish in that lake and folks still fish there. I think it is mainly catfish and some bass. Bluegill is also in that lake, or was.
Therbs, that is fine company, being compared to Heinlein. Then again, maybe that is why I have problems in SF these days. Heinlein is sorta the anti-christ with a lot of the self appointed PC Nazi types in the US.
Umm, I seem to recall that there was a fridge in there somewhere. Or maybe that was the old tool shed (photos to follow on that). The Murphys aren’t quite drinkers per say though Grandpa Price liked a beer ever so often.
I think I drink more than most of them and I’ve cut way back since I’ve transitioned to teaching.
I will say that Audrey Young’s shop does have a beer fridge, even though it is technically illegal for her to operate one under Communion Law.
Bangar, gladyou liked the shots.
Chaz, we do have rattlers and I think cottonmouths are the other dangerous one. Maybe not as dangerous as Australian fauna, but still capable of killing you.
That said, I never saw any snakes. My mom, on the other hand, is terrified of them. So is Trinity.
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
July 28, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Roslyn
Your grandpa Price also liked a shot of Old Grand dad before bed. When your grandpa Murphy was alive they had a whole cabinet full of various hard stuff. That was kept on hand for when they had their poker games down at the lake or when they were staying down there too fish. All of the uncles showing up driving their white cars. Those white cars were a family joke.
Mom
July 28, 2009 at 8:28 pm
sfmurphy1971
Uncle Glen was telling us about the poker games, the fish fries and the quail hunts. How come Dad wasn’t a part of that?
I’ve had to lay off the hard ordnance.
What was the family joke about the white cars? Is it politically incorrect?
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches