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Kimberly Warner's avatar

Aw man, this made me smile. And his interior—so rich, tender even. If only we all humanized one another the way you do. 💛

“He had been having good dreams– the sunlit library in Philly where he went as a kid most days, the smell of his grandmother’s biscuits, and weirdly, the sound of crows. He loved crows.”

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Ben Wakeman's avatar

Thanks, Kimberly. I wish it was a practice that extended beyond my writing. I write toward the person I aspire to be.

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Ann Collins's avatar

I'm enjoying these, Ben. A beautiful contrast between the harsh bed and his comforting dream:

"...a precious thing when you sleep on concrete every night of the year. He had been having good dreams– the sunlit library in Philly where he went as a kid most days, the smell of his grandmother’s biscuits, and weirdly, the sound of crows. He loved crows."

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Ben Wakeman's avatar

Thank you, Ann.

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Chloe Hope's avatar

Such a perfect example of the wild, dense, complex universes which walk around, disguised simply as strangers... Thank you, Ben. I was really in need of some warm & fuzzy feelings towards my fellow man after the week I've had, and you delivered ❤️

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Sheryl's avatar

I really liked your perception of this man🥲& the story👍❤️✌️

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Divya Pai's avatar

This is so profound. Beautifully written 👏🏼

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Ben Wakeman's avatar

Thanks so much, Divya.

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Emily Charlotte Powell's avatar

I love these Ben. So much depth created in so few words.

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Ben Wakeman's avatar

Thanks Emily, I’m glad you’re enjoying them.

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𝐂𝐁 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧's avatar

Having just placed my novel, Shattered, in two local Little Libraries, I hope they find someone wanting to imagine a place they’ve wanted to visit. (Although we may all be living the future world imagined in the book sooner than we want…).

Loving this series, Ben!

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Ben Wakeman's avatar

That’s cool, CB. I’ve thought of doing the same. I like the idea of an accidental reader.

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𝐂𝐁 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧's avatar

I wanted to do something for my birthday to give to my community. (And I asked for readers to sign the books and put them back in another Little Library—I hope to get lots of signatures, though in reality the books will likely disappear and never be found again 😆 …or… never be selected from the first library 😱)

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Fog Chaser's avatar

love this series, Ben - this is such a good vignette.

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Ben Wakeman's avatar

Thanks, Matt!

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Rhiannon D'Averc's avatar

I like crows, too!

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Mkwawa shujaa's avatar

I don't know why, but this reminded me of my sleepwalking days. I really felt pity for the homeless man.

btw if you get sometime, I would love to continue the conversation we were having , inbox, about writing.

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Holly Starley's avatar

“They were sheep, all of them, and they wouldn’t be prepared for what he knew was coming.”

Such an interesting project, Ben.

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Ben Wakeman's avatar

Thank you, Holly! Hopefully it will continue to get more interesting as I add more portraits and they begin to interact with each other.

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Holly Starley's avatar

Ohhhh, intriguing.

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Katharine Beckett Winship's avatar

Yes, sounds Barry Lopez!🌱

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Ben Wakeman's avatar

Thank you for reading, Mkwawa.

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Shannon W Haynes's avatar

Reminds me a little of my character, Kiko, a homeless vet with a ghost guide.

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