Fun Facts About “Burning Bright”
I’m behind doing a Fun Facts post on my story “Burning Bright.” It was recently published in the #44 of Pulp Adventures. If you’re interested in purchasing an issue, click here. Usually posts share some fun little tidbits about the story and what inspired it.
Let’s begin with the title. The phrase “Burning Bright,” comes from William Blake’s poem “Tyger, Tyger.” I’m not a great lover of poetry, but I do love this one. Another phrase from it, “Fearful Symmetry” is the title of a book in the story.
The author, Barbara Newhall Follett and her odd disappearance partly inspired this story. A genius, she wrote a bestselling book when she was young and though she published a few other things, she fell into obscurity. When she was twenty-five, she left her apartment and was never seen again. To this day they don’t know if there was an accident, if she was murdered, or if she killed herself.
Another inspiration for this story is Agatha Christie. After the death of her mother and break down of her marriage, she disappeared for eleven days and sent the world into a panic. When she was recovered at a hotel, safe and oblivious to the upset, using her husband’s lover’s surname. Doctors determined that she had memory loss. Some believed it was a stunt, to revenge herself on her husband for his infidelity and demand for a divorce. Other’s think it was a nervous breakdown, from grief and stress. Agatha Christie herself never addressed the episode in interviews or her autobiography.
In this story, a character is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for their book. The first woman to be awarded the Pulitzer was Edith Wharton, for “The Age of Innocence,” in 1920.
While it’s only referenced briefly, this story takes place in Terre Haute in the 1930s. Yes, it’s one of my many Great Depression stories.
The Vigo County Poor Farm is referenced. In the 19th century, Poor Farms were set up for those living in poverty, who needed care. It wasn’t as altruistic as it sounded: from many accounts, Poor Farms were depressing places and didn’t treat their residents very well. The Vigo County Poor Farm featured in this story, was the one constructed in the 1930s, up in north Terre Haute, on Maple Avenue. Later, it was turned into a nursing home, and then torn down and new building for the nursing home was built in the area. For more information on the Vigo County Poor Farm, check out this article and this one from the Tribune Star. My great-grandfather was a resident at the Vigo County Poor Farm in the late 1940s.
Prairie Creek is shown in the story. My grandfather lived there when he was young and I have cousins who live in the home there.
Until next time!
