J. M. Tresaugue: SAM OF GREEN COVE AND HIS UNTIMELY DEMISE

I doubt many people wonder what happened to “Sam of Green Cove.” I suspect even more never heard of the boy and his adventures. I surely never received any emails when he dropped off the face of the planet, but that was expected. Who is Sam of Green Cove? A boy of fifteen whose life is marked by tragedy, mysterious events, and a deformity.

The concept of “Sam of Green Cove” originated as a serial for Twitter at one post a day, and perhaps two on Sunday if I was feeling froggy. I modeled the series after newspaper comics for no other reason than I like the slow build up. His story was moving along fine until I got sick. I missed a day or two, but I got better (so much for being turned into a neut!) Then I got sick again. I missed a few more days. A week of good health was enjoyed, things were on the upturn, and before I knew it, I was sick again. This time, I was in bed for a week with little to no energy. Do I turn on the computer, or save that energy to ensure I make it to the bathroom in time? Let’s just say my wife would not have been happy if I soiled the bed in preference to the computer. I chose . . . wisely. It’s safe to say the winter of 2010 was a nasty bit of business for me. I got all the bugs scampering around the school, regardless if the girls came home sick or not. And so “Sam of Green Cove” slipped into a quiet, uneventful death.

I miss “Sam of Green Cove.” I might be the only person in the universe who does miss him, but I find myself unable to leave him in his grave, rotting while providing good nutrients for maggots and the like. He was a good boy. I enjoyed writing his story to fit the constraints of Twitter. Don’t get me wrong. There were moments I wanted to jab rusty nails in my eyes. Early on, I learned to stick to names of three to four characters to save room on text. I agonized over word choice, and cried myself to sleep when a weaker word was necessary to bring the post to 140 characters or less. But I had fun! So much so, Sam will be resurrected.

As in the first run, “Sam of Green Cove” will appear in my tweets. Every Sunday (unless I’m sick), the weekly posts will be compiled into a blog for those who wish to read the episodes back to back. The same will be done at the end of each month, and again when this serial novel comes to its conclusion. I have no ideas concerning the length of “Sam of Green Cove.” What I do know is the first two months are ready for tweeting. For now, I will be digging up the backyard, unwrapping the old bedsheets Sam was buried in, and cleaning him up for an attractive display.

Look for Sam’s return to life on September 1, 2011.