YAWP: A Collection of Short Stories

Sweaty-Toothed Madman

There is a scene from the film Dead Poets Society where one of the main characters, a shy teenage boy named Todd Anderson, is provoked into pulling lines of poetry from the recesses of his own mind by one of the greatest teachers he will ever know: Mr. Keating (played by Robin Williams). In this scene, he utters these lines:

I close my eyes and this image floats beside me. A sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brain. His hands reach out and choke me, and all the time he's mumbling; mumbling truth, truth like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold. You push it, stretch it, it will never be enough. You kick it, you beat it, it will never cover any of us. From the moment we enter crying to the moment we leave dying, it will just cover your face, as you wail and cry and scream.

Mr. Keating tells Todd to never forget this moment. This moment where he is fully within his own mind, ignoring his own doubts about himself and his place in this world. He is simply writing his inner truth about where we are and where we are going. This is one of my most favorite scenes in all of film specifically because of what it says about creativity and literature, among other things.

And the funny thing is, this wild poem made in an instant was inspired by a photo of Walt Whitman and how Todd thought the old poet looked like a madman.

-

This little collection of stories is completely original–written in the confines of my high school classroom with the endeavor of creative writing. I write about religion, philosophy, science, monsters, and the darkest parts of ourselves. Because it is my truth. And I am hoping that what I write here will inspire you to find yours. Isn't that what all writing is meant for?