Section 13

Posted on by Monica Carroll

How do you work with confession, Writer?

Extract from fiction writer G. M. Untervants:

“I had this supervisor who was blind. He called himself blind, not vision-impaired, so he was OK with me saying the word ‘blind’. Frankly, it still makes me feel a little co-opted, like I’m going to get a social frowny no-no every time I say it; anyway, he’s blind.

He used to see. I never asked what happened. In fact, I tried to talk to him as little as possible. I tried hard to not talk to him, especially alone. He gave me the creeps. I know you’re not meant to say stuff like that but the truth is, he did. He was creepy like a fiddling uncle or someone who never washes with soap because they think natural body odours are, you know, ‘natural’.

One afternoon he turned up to the team project meeting. He had the blur of a liquid lunch and stank like a midday beer mat. He turned up but his pants didn’t. His withering legs dangled in faded boxers and if you looked, he was poking through. I saw it but not because I was trying to see. I was just sitting in this meeting and someone said, ‘Craig mate, where are your trousers?’ I turned and it was in my line of view. Craig wasn’t embarrassed or anything. He said, ‘It’s my goal to get through this week without wearing trousers.’

Eleanor, she’s the same level as me but has a different supervisor, she was horrified. I was too, but I already knew how creepy Craig was. So, Eleanor, after the meeting, she complains to HR. Fair enough, right? You shouldn’t have to see penis in a team project meeting. HR hired an ‘independent investigator’. It was a big deal. Everyone got asked questions and recorded on camera. Turns out, Eleanor got charged with harassment for complaining about Craig. I stopped buying guide dog raffle tickets at Christmas and left the public service.”

Untervants, G. M. 2023. Confessions of the Pubic Servants APS2 to APS6. Melbourne: Rough Edge Press

Published by Monica Carroll

Playwright & author in Canberra.

17 thoughts on “Section 13”

  2. I remember now when my poem ‘Shame’ appeared in ‘The Bulletin’, a prestigious and popular Australian weekly, how proud I was and how pleased that I had ‘buried’ the event that disrupted our lives into a metaphor:
    ‘From a corner of my mind it came,
    a timid little mouse called Shame’ ……
    It must have been popular, It appeared a fortnight later and I was paid again —

    Liked by 1 person

      4. Shame

        From a corner of my mind it came
        a timid little mouse called Shame
        no one suspected no one but I
        yet I saw it clearly with its ruby eyes
        looking all around , urging a retreat
        its grey fur twitched , its tiny heart beat
        you can’t be seen with her like that —
        the thought pounced on me like a black cat
        & so , it implored me to do as it bid
        & though no one knew , to my shame I did .

        Liked by 3 people

  3. J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” is a classic coming-of-age novel that follows the introspective and rebellious Holden Caulfield. The narrative unfolds as Holden recounts his experiences in New York City after being expelled from prep school. The novel is framed as Holden’s confession, revealing his struggles with identity, alienation, and the phoniness he perceives in the adult world.

    Holden’s first-person narrative provides readers with a direct insight into his thoughts and emotions, creating an intimate atmosphere that blurs the lines between confession and storytelling. The novel has resonated with audiences for its authentic portrayal of teenage angst and its exploration of the challenges of transitioning to adulthood.

    “The Catcher in the Rye” is often celebrated for its candid depiction of the human condition, capturing the complexity of confession in a way that feels both personal and universal.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Confession? It’s all about context: Do you dare whisper your sweaty secret to the unseen Monsignor, knowing that he will “forgive” but judge nonetheless? Do you cast aside all good sense and profess the pounding in your chest to your paramour, risking rejection and the associated dejection? If you’ve done the crime, but have no time for the time, you’d best keep your own council and employ competent Counsel. Also, of course those jeans don’t make you look fat.

    Liked by 1 person

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