#36 - I've Come to Say I'm Going - The Illustrations

The illustration for I've Come to Say I'm Going were created by Liz Carlson.  Liz is an artist and illustrator living in Saint Paul, MN. She was suggested to me as an illustrator by Tim Jennen, her partner and illustrator of Bartholomew and the Cabana Fire.  Tim was not Liz's partner when he illustrated Cabana Fire... and now he is.  Now, I don't want to overplay this aspect of The Book of Bartholomew, but it does bring people together.  Yes, its true, The Book of Bartholomew is for lovers.  For example, observe Liz's illustration.

It is obvious that the characters in The Book of Bartholomew are extremely attractive.  Full hair, pouty lips, vibrating eyes, beautiful skin and well formed hands are the hallmarks of a Bartholomew character. They are all upbeat and excited about life - and excited to find that special someone.  Bartholomew found, not only, the heavenly The Nanny, but also the devilishly sexy Geraldine.  Claire? Well, what is sexier than chickens?  Charlotte and Topping - hubba hubba.  Aunt Josephine and Uncle Jeffrey are the counterpoint that makes "hot" seem even "hotter."

Of course, they are all stylish as well.  This is obvious from the shoes they wear and the purse The Nanny carries.  This is also true of the artists and readers of The Book of Bartholomew.  They are all amazing specimens of the best human culture can provide: beautiful, glossy pin-up people you would die to be with.

Yes, our artists are amazing.  Liz has the most penetrating blue eyes you will ever see (this is true).  And those eyes have a way of penetrating the human spirit.  Here, the beautiful The Nanny comes to tell a depressed (depression is only for dramatic effect with Bartholomew characters, artists and readers) Bartholomew that she must leave him.  Bartholomew has just lost all of his friends and his family.  The Nanny was all he had.  Liz let's The Nanny's heavy words lay in a murderous cloud of red.  The lack of color in the environment reflects the lack of life in Bartholomew's heart.  His stylishly slumping nature portrays his desire to become a puddle on the floor.  The cupcakes in front of him taunt him.  They dare him to take pleasure in them knowing that he will taste nothing, he is in such dire straights.  Yet, there is hope.  The message from this angel before Bartholomew tells of a future, a wondrous ending.  The twining vine on Bartholomew's chair hints that all is not lost.  Life can again become full of beauty, passion and love.  Yes, Liz has dissected Bartholomew's soul to its most essential point: life sucks but it will get better.  It makes my eyes wet, my nose rims with mucus, my throat chokes back my humanity.  Thank you , Liz, for reminding me that the world of Bartholomew is one of beauty, within the book, within the community that has created Bartholomew and within the larger community of fandom.  God bless, you Liz.  God bless you one and all.

I've Come to Say I'm Going will be published tomorrow, Friday, February 13, 2012.  If you want love in your life, I urge you to read it.

#36 - I've Come to Say I'm Going - The Story

I've Come to Say I'm Going was one of the funnest stories to write in the entire Book of Bartholomew.  The title is in reference to a song (Hello, I Must Be Going) sung by Groucho Marx in the movie Animal Crackers.  Here is a clip of it.

In I've Come to Say I'm Going, Bartholomew meets up with The Nanny, his only friend willing to hang with him.  Bartholomew's friend's had all left him after a disastrous dinner at his house (see Harvest Dinner). At least he has The Nanny.  Oops!  Oh,well.  As it is with Bartholomew, even in the darkest times he learns something important.  At this moment when he is all alone, or about to be, he realizes why he has been a sucker for salesmen.  He realizes why it has been so hard for him to make a decisions.  And this, will eventually lead to a most important revelation in the final story of the book.

Here is an excerpt from I've Come To Say I'm Going which will be published on February 13, 2012:

Bartholomew got up from his chair and went to the counter. The barista offered several options of muffins. They all looked tasty to Bartholomew, and being a little confused, he bought five muffins. Bartholomew had a habit, after his parents died, of buying more things than he needed. That’s why he has twelve phones, eight toasters and three televisions. As he walked back to the table with five muffins, four of which he knew he wouldn’t eat, he realized that when he’s confused he has a hard time making decisions. He was so confused and in a daze after his parents died that he couldn’t decide what to buy when offered several options. Thus, he ended up with twelve phones, eight toasters and three televisions. Bartholomew also realized that he hadn’t had this problem since Charlotte and Topping’s New Years Eve party where he made several friends and decided to start a garden.

“By golly,” he thought as he placed the muffins on the table where The Nanny was waiting, what he wanted had come true: he wanted friends who could help him make better decisions. He figured this would happen by discussing decisions with his friends but, in fact, they seldom talked about making decisions. His friends helped him make better decisions simply because he knew they were there. They were an anchor, and their support made him more confident and more able in his own life. And now they were all scattered and mad at each other – all except this beautiful woman sitting across the table from him.

“Bartholomew, I have to leave you,” blurted out The Nanny as soon as he sat down. “I have to leave you, but someone else is coming who will make you happy, even happier than you are now.”

It wouldn’t be hard to make Bartholomew happier than he was at that moment.

“Why?” he asked like a lump.

“Situations are almost where they need to be. You are going to have to make it the rest of the way on your own. I’ve done all I can to prepare you.”

“Prepare me for what?”

“Hard times.”

“Do you know about Xavier wanting to kill me?” asked Bartholomew.

“Yes, but he won’t. But he will destroy something you love and he will hurt the ones you love the most.”

“How can you possibly know this?” Bartholomew asked raising his voice. “How can you possible expect me to sit here and listen to this when someone wants to kill me? I come to you with my concerns and you pretend you can see into the future, like you’re some seer or something. What I need is for you to help me!”

Without saying a word, The Nanny stood up and walked behind Bartholomew. She wrapped her arms around him and placed her chin on his shoulder. Bartholomew instantly felt a warmth and peace move through his body.