66 comments

Fiction Romance

Speech for Harland Davenport Induction to UK Literary Society by Amanda Greenfield

24 May 2024



To the esteemed members of the UK Literary Society, – my fellow writers who create worlds out of words --- good evening. I would firstly like to say that I truly appreciate this opportunity to speak before you. I’m very happy to take to the podium for this momentous occasion. I’m equally ecstatic that this rather pricey bright pink silk Stella McCartney dress still fits my expanding belly.


(Pause for laughs)


As you all know, we are gathered here to induct one of the country’s most trailblazing authors into the Society’s Hall of Fame. If you have been inside a bookstore in Britain in the past five years, you would most certainly come across Harland Davenport’s two novels flying off the shelves. Go to any café in the anglophone world, and you would see seats occupied by avid readers toting the familiar scarlet covers of “Stories from the Field of Flowers” and “Heat” near their eyes, heads plunged into the worlds the titles offer. His unique style of penning a long narrative with two perspectives has been widely discussed in classrooms from Los Angeles to Lima to London. He has won several awards from bodies across the globe. True to what the press has dubbed him, our new Hall of Fame inductee is indeed “The Rising Star of UK Literature”.


However, before we call him up to receive his plaque, I just wanted to take this opportunity of being here before all of you to thank the Rising Star for being a personal star. I don’t think it’s a secret that the day I discovered his tomes and they were in my orbit, things have never been the same for me; of course, it’s not at all hidden because I speak about that to anyone I know.


(Pause for laughs)


Seriously, though, the reason I had begged for a speaking spot at this tribute event is because I have a lot of things inside me, burning like a supernova, that I’m grateful to him for. If you do not mind, let me tell you how the Rising Star became well, a ray of light for me.


A star is, essentially, a blazing ball of gas, and reading Harland’s books for the first time made me feel that same warm fire inside me. After the well-received release of my collection of short stories “The Phonograph” in 2018, I had essentially been feeling a bit of a slump in my writing career. After feeling the radiance of seeing my chapbook reach the bestseller lists and grinning as glowing reviews from various publications poured in for my work, I found myself facing my laptop, all my inspiration turning to a mere black dwarf. I joined conferences, participated in workshops across the UK --- all just to be able to reignite that spark, to find the Polaris to my next project, but it was to no avail.


Then, one day, I passed by a Waterstones and saw “Stories from the Field of Flowers” on the shelves. It was as if some gravitational pull was drawing me to it, as if I had to read it like the roses need the rain. I purchased it, immediately sat in the study devouring it, and just immediately was besotted with the words. Once I started it, I just could not put it down. I took it with me on the train, in restaurants, everywhere. It was as if every single object on Earth was eclipsed by the lines and dialogues in his opus. That’s when I realised that this was the way I wanted to create tales; I wanted that when I release them out into the vast galaxy of readers, it would stay with them and pierce their hearts like a sun beam.


Stars were once the tools navigators used to map out the world, and Harland’s work unwittingly was indeed a guide to me, as I crafted my own narratives, for my own voice to emerge. The more I read both of his paperbacks, the more I absorbed his prowess as a maker of worlds, as if I were the black expanse of space taking in starlight. As I gasped finding out who the secret narrator of his debut novel was, as my jaw dropped at the twists and turns of “Heat”, I decided to incorporate some of his pieces’ elements in my own writing, be a sort of moon to his sun of stories.


Then, one day, I found myself writing in a style that was distinctly me, as if I were a heavenly body that found my own orbit and had been upgraded to a planet. Whilst, yes, I still found myself infusing his love of unexpected endings and character reveals in my own little creations, I developed a very symbol and imagery-heavy approach. It was like his books were shiny shuttle wings that help me land on the surface of who I am as a writer. For that, I will always be thankful to him.


However, I must admit before all of you that Harland Davenport had not only helped me progress lightyears in my own pursuit of weaving tapestries of words, but also touched bits of my life outside of literature, believe it or not.


A star illuminates, and it was because of the love story at the centre of “Stories from the Field of Flowers” that I realised the five-year engagement I was in was sucking out all the light in me like a black hole. As I lapped up the tender moments in the meadow of tulips between the angel Mishael and the mortal Theophania, I could not help swooning… and yearning for just a single flower from my partner at the time. As the female lead serenaded her seraphim in the title, I couldn’t help hearing every note…and wishing I could also sing around the flat without my ex-fiancé calling me exhausting or throwing a plate, sending food splattering on the walls like misshapen stars.


Then, one day, I packed my suitcases and left the door for the last time, quick as a rocket blasting off.


Stars can also join up with its fellow gaseous bodies and form constellations. A week after joining a forum for fans of Harland’s work, I had mentioned stumbling in the night as I produced my own pieces. The day after I posted, I woke up to a message from one Marc Cabot reassuring me that it was normal to feel lost in space when you create and to not let the slump get to me. Soon, we were discussing our day jobs, family, music; our friendship deepened, as if plunging to the Earth’s core. When we decided to meet one day at a green-filled Brixton café, every conversation floated deftly like it hung in the atmosphere.


Then, one day, Marc and I….well, all of you know what comes after.


Harland, to reiterate, you are indeed “The Rising Star of UK Literature --- the recipient of many a prize and trophy, including the one you’ll receive tonight. To me, though, you are my star. I just wanted to take the time to recognise that. Congratulations, you truly deserve it.


Thank you.

***

I waddle down the steps of the stage when Marc’s muscular hand grabs mine and leads me to my seat at the very front of the stage. From right next to him, I see his hazel eyes sparkle like a universe full of celestial orbs.


“So proud of you,” his melodious voice hums. His mouth is stretched like a honey-like half-moon.


“Really ? I mean, I think I was rambling…and I don’t know if it’s okay. I mean… what do you think?”


A large left hand softly touches my slightly swollen belly as gleaming pair of chestnut orbs look into mine.


“I think you were perfect, My Star,” Marc replies. “I know she thinks so too.”


“You are. After all, you’re…”


“And now, of course, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Let’s please call on Harland Davenport to the stage to receive his plaque.”

Marc stares at me for five more seconds before sighing.


“Do I have to? Can’t I just stay with you?”


“Oh, but Mr. Davenport, The Star of the Stories,” I shoot back, a mischievous grin on my face. “Your prize awaits.”


A smile more scintillating than a luminous night sky paints itself across Marc’s face as he cups my cheek and kisses me, making me see stars.


“You are the star of my story and my prize.”

May 23, 2024 14:27

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66 comments

Aidan Romo
03:42 May 31, 2024

I'll be frank, I'm not usually one for romance stories, but this is a solid exception! I love the twist at the end! I legitimately did not see that coming and it was a pleasant surprise! It was a lovely story about how sometimes one's artistic work can transcend its role as a tale meant for entertainment, and become something so much more for people. Great work, Alexis! A sweet, endearing, worthwhile read! :)

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Alexis Araneta
03:59 May 31, 2024

Thank you so much, Aidan ! I do realise romance isn't for everyone, but I think capturing a real, pure, beautiful love is very important too. In a world full of darkness, sometimes, it is love that is a light to people. Plus, yes, I consider myself veeery much a romantic, so this is just...my nature, I suppose. Hahahaha ! I felt like the story needed a twist for many, many reasons. I'm glad you enjoyed that. Indeed, sometimes, writing can lead you to something beautiful, even outside of your creative endeavours. Thank you for investing yo...

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Aidan Romo
06:35 May 31, 2024

Oh, absolutely! No problem at all! <3

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Giovanna Ramirez
14:45 May 29, 2024

Very cute story as everyone else has mentioned. The cosmic metaphors and allegories gave the story a nice touch. I also found that half of the story being told not only in first person but in the form of a speech was perhaps the best way possible to truly portray the prompt. Wonderful job!

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Alexis Araneta
15:16 May 29, 2024

Hi, Giovanna. I'm so happy you like this one. Like I mentioned, I love star imagery, and I was listening to Heatwave whilst writing this. Hahahaha ! Also, I'm happy the speech concept worked. Thanks for reading !

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Michelle Oliver
13:03 May 29, 2024

Such a cute romance. I liked the twist.

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Alexis Araneta
13:07 May 29, 2024

Thank you so much, Michelle ! It means so much coming from you, a writer I admire !

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Amanda Rye
19:39 May 28, 2024

This is such a good story! :)

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Alexis Araneta
01:49 May 29, 2024

Thank you so much, Amanda ! Glad you liked it.

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Helen A Smith
16:24 May 28, 2024

What a lovely and unexpected ending! Love a bit of romance. Also enjoyed the journey. Made me go all starry- eyed. ⭐️

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Alexis Araneta
17:07 May 28, 2024

Hi, Helen ! Thank you so much ! I'm happy the twist worked for you ! And yes, it's always a pleasure to read and write romance. I'm happy you felt all the emotions. Thank you, as per usual for the support.

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Pen Bragan
14:41 May 28, 2024

So sweet... I'm so glad she ended up with him in the end!

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Alexis Araneta
15:01 May 28, 2024

Thank you so much, Pen ! Indeed, Amanda is a lucky girl to end up with someone sweet and creative like....no spoilers. Hahahaha ! Glad you liked it !

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Stevie Burges
09:47 May 28, 2024

Ah sweet story. Thanks for writing and sharing with us.

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Alexis Araneta
10:29 May 28, 2024

Thank you so much, Stevie ! You know me, I'm a very feely, romantic person, so I couldn't help it. Hahahaha ! Glad you liked it !

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Jim LaFleur
18:19 May 27, 2024

Alexis, your story is a stellar journey through the cosmos of creativity. The way you’ve woven celestial metaphors into a narrative of personal growth and love is truly enchanting. Your speech format adds a unique touch, making the story both intimate and grand. Congratulations on crafting such a luminous tale that captures the heart like a constellation of emotions. Keep shining! 🌟

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Alexis Araneta
02:39 May 28, 2024

Hi, Jim !! I'm very happy you liked this story. This is very special one for me for many reasons. I think stars and the universe as symbolism has always fascinated me, so I couldn't help playing with the phrase "Rising star" (Plus, well, it may have been influenced by the fact I was binging on Heatwave's "Star of a Story" whilst I was writing. 😂). Glad you appreciate it. The format was an exercise in masochism to slog through at first, but I'm glad I got there. I just immediately thought of the treatment to make a relatively simple story u...

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Ken Cartisano
18:00 May 27, 2024

Haha, I don't know if I like it, or whether I'm grossed out. (But that's just me--I'm weird.) The ending definitely took me by surprise. I absolutely did not see that coming. And that, made it all the more worthwhile. The writing itself is excellent.

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Alexis Araneta
02:43 May 28, 2024

Hmm...why would you be grossed out, I wonder. Is it because it's romance ? Well, sorry to say I tend to write a lot of that, being a very feelings-based, unapologetically swooning person. I'm happy the twist worked for you, though. Thanks for reading this.

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Ken Cartisano
03:33 May 28, 2024

Allergic to romance? No, no. Romance is okay. ah. So, you're an 'Unapologetically swooning person,' eh? You're the first one I ever met. My creepy comment was a reference to how close this came to that whole, undergrad female who falls for the middle-aged professor thing. And this would only bother prudes and victims. The twist worked perfectly. Your writing is nicely nuanced, for instance, it was clear that the MC is pregnant, but you never used the word pregnant.

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Alexis Araneta
04:41 May 28, 2024

I didn't really say that the author is a lot older than Amanda, did I ? In fact, I imagined them to be peers....so.....well...I suppose I should sort of make it clear that the age range isn't wide ? Then again, that would give away a lot. I don't like very "tell, not show" writing, so I'm glad I was able to allude to her pregnancy without saying it outright. Hahahaha !

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Ken Cartisano
18:48 May 28, 2024

Alexis, You're correct, defining her mentor's age would have been suspiciously revealing. (You didn't perhaps, use the word 'mentor' did you?) That would have held just such connotations for me. In any case, you cannot be held responsible when one of your readers trips over his own emotional baggage. Rather than editing your story, it is my comment that should be revised. This is an excellent story, as-it-is.

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Alexis Araneta
02:08 May 29, 2024

No, I didn't say "mentor", actually. You could just simply buy a book, decide to apply the style, and they would not necessarily be your mentor. I didn't think a sweet story between a writer and... would be triggering, but here we are. It's okay, though. I think every reader brings in a unique perspective to whatever they read, and that's fine.

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Fern Everton
19:12 May 25, 2024

Oh, this is the sweetest story! The star analogies were beautifully done and your writing flowed like watercolor paint (smoothly and full of life)! I wasn’t expecting the little twist at the end, but you can almost see it in how highly Amanda spoke of him. Everything about this was so lovely and very, very cute! Fantastic job, Alexis—you keep making me doubt my previous hatred of romance, haha!! Always a great experience reading your work.

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Alexis Araneta
04:46 May 26, 2024

Fern, I'm happy you liked this and that I'm deftly making you appreciate romance. Hahahaha ! I have been on a universe theme binge lately for many reasons. Plus, I got the title from a 70s song (me and my music. 😂). So, I just found a way to tie it into the story. As for the twist, like I said, this was a story that needed something unexpected, I felt, so I went with that. I suppose I wanted to showcase the depths of the emotions in the story. Glad you got it. Thank you, as usual, for reading. It's also a pleasure reading your stories too.

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Myranda Marie
18:44 May 25, 2024

What a beautiful tribute!! Another one knocked out of the park!

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Alexis Araneta
04:47 May 26, 2024

Thank you, Myranda ! Glad you liked it !

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TE Wetzel
18:12 May 25, 2024

This is so great, Alexis. I love your style. Very nicely done. I really loved this line: "From right next to him, I see his hazel eyes sparkle like a universe full of celestial orbs." Keep on killing it. You rock.

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Alexis Araneta
18:23 May 25, 2024

Thank you so much, TE ! I suppose much like Amanda in the story, I love playing with imagery. I'm happy you liked the style. I loved writing that line. And yes, sometimes, lovely eyes can Indeed sparkle like a sky full of stars. Hahahaha ! Thank you so much for reading !

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Nadir Gauche
17:01 May 25, 2024

It was very sweet. With the speech I was anxiously awaiting some twist ("it's in the future and the earth was demolished! because of...stars! I've got it!") but it ended up being cute romance. And I'm a sucker for cute romance. Beautiful ☺

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Alexis Araneta
17:18 May 25, 2024

Hi, Nadir ! Thank you so much ! Nope, I only used the star theme because of 1. playing on Harland being "The Rising Star" 2. I got the title from a Heatwave song . 3. I've just been feeling the universe theme lately. Romance is one of my favourite genres to writer, so I suppose that's a clue to think "romance, not dystopia" when it comes to my stories. LOL ! Thanks for reading !

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Carol Stewart
10:51 May 25, 2024

That was so sweet. Beautifully delivered with the star analogies well thought out.

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Alexis Araneta
11:18 May 25, 2024

Oh, Carol !!! I'm so happy you think so. I quite like using the star analogies too. I don't know. I've just been feeling the "universe" theme over the past couple of weeks. Hahahaha ! Thank you for reading.

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Beverly Goldberg
22:34 May 24, 2024

Again, a gem. I'm impressed with the format choice. Public speeches can be tricky starters for stories, but this was so smoothly used. Love, what a lovely basis for a rich life.

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Alexis Araneta
04:13 May 25, 2024

Thank you so much, Beverly !! To be honest, as easy as the story was to write (And it was very easy because it was a story full of emotion and love), I wanted to....give it spice. So, I chose the masochistic way and picked a tricky format. Hahahaha ! And yes, Amanda and....her partner do indeed end up living a beautiful life together. :) Thanks for reading !

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Laurie Spellman
12:53 May 24, 2024

Beautiful work 🩷……I loved the emotional beats.

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Alexis Araneta
13:10 May 24, 2024

Laurie, thank you so much ! You know me. I think at the forefront of a great story is always emotion. We write stories to make people feel. I'm just glad all the feelings came through here for you ! As usual, thanks for your support !

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Laurie Spellman
13:25 May 24, 2024

It's a pleasure to read your work, and the support is amazing in mutual respect. I will need to take a break soon from Reedsy writing and work on the second draft of my novel. Summer is a great time for my rewriting. It's a romance genre, of course. I'll continue submitting if time allows. Keep up the great work. Hopefully, you will get a winner trophy or shortlist one day soon.

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Alexis Araneta
13:49 May 24, 2024

It's equally a pleasure to read yours ! I wish you the best on your novel. Of course, I will miss you here, though. Sooo chuffed to have your support !

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Laurie Spellman
12:54 May 26, 2024

Alexis, you should check out the Writing Battle, an excellent random prompts competition. It features super fun quarterly events. I'm now competing in the Spring Flash Fiction five hundred words.

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Alexis Araneta
13:04 May 26, 2024

I have actually heard of it ! I want to try, but I believe you pay there by PayPal...and I can't right now. I can only do so around July (because I'm having trouble with linking my debit card).

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Alexis Araneta
13:04 May 26, 2024

I have actually heard of it ! I want to try, but I believe you pay there by PayPal...and I cant right now. I can only do so around July (because I'm having trouble with linking my debit card).

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Darvico Ulmeli
09:59 May 24, 2024

I like that you write the story in the form of a speech. Love that. I personally didn't have a problem with inspiration because I lived through so many unreal situations that from only one of those, I could write a dozen stories, but I could understand. You write it well.

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Alexis Araneta
11:10 May 24, 2024

Hi, Darvico ! When I saw the prompt, yes, the idea of the speech came to mind. I felt like a masochist using an experimental form (Hahahaha !), bit I think it was worth it. Glad you liked it. I take inspiration from everywhere. I have written stories based on films, music, etc. Then, there are those based on real-life experiences. It's truly everywhere; you just have to find the stories behind everything. Thanks for reading !

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A.R. Eakle
06:48 May 24, 2024

This was just a nice read! Simple and cute. I could see this being a longer work for sure.

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Alexis Araneta
08:08 May 24, 2024

Thank you so much, A.R. ! I wanted to experiment with the structure, but yes, at the heart, is a simple yet very emotional love story. As for it being longer, you know what, I normally don't like rehashing the same characters, but this one....I think I have all the heart to do that. Hahahaha ! Glad you liked it !

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Marty B
04:47 May 24, 2024

'I wanted that when I release them out into the vast galaxy of readers, it would stay with them and pierce their hearts like a sun beam.' Ah to make a connection through words, that's what all us Reedsians want right? I liked the conceit for this prompt of a speech, honoring a writer. Thanks!

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Alexis Araneta
06:36 May 24, 2024

Indeed, that is also what I want as a writer. That is what we all want. To be honest, I did find this week's prompts a bit...restrictive, a lot of tell and not show. That's why I came up with the speech idea. But yes, the romance story bit, that was easy for me to write for many reasons, one of which being...I'm comfortable in romance writing. Hahaha ! Thanks for reading !

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01:04 May 24, 2024

Well done again. I also wrote to this prompt and though it also stated 'narrative' I did include quite a bit of dialogue. Just when I wondered if I'd done too much dialogue, as in your narrative rocked, you wrote in some dialogue. Seamless transition. What a twist. The MCs partner is . . . (will leave this for readers to find out. They have to read this story!) As I had already figured she may be pregnant (still fitted her pink Stella McCartney dress) and it took a while for it to come out about her plate slinging boyfriend, and even longe...

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Alexis Araneta
01:49 May 24, 2024

Kaitlyn, that means so much. Thank you ! I mentioned in other comments that transitioning to the body of the speech bit from the intro whilst keeping my style was a slog (which is why I ended up publishing this late. Well, late for my forever early self. 😂). I'm happy it worked, though. The format I chose as a glutton for punishment (😂) may have been very difficult to try to follow, but the story behind it was very easy to tell. I'm happy it worked. I think the "narrative" tag doesn't necessarily eliminate dialogue. It's just simply you hav...

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