The Secret Life of a Black Shoebox
I have a black shoebox in which I keep a random assortment of items: my father’s baby shoes; a silver cigarette case and lighter he brought back from Vietnam to give to my grandmother, Opal; a Magic 8 ball like the one I had as a child; a keychain-sized plastic replica of the classic black metal desk phone that my grandparents owned; an Elvis 8-track tape from 1971 that was Opal’s; an hourglass-shaped 3-minute egg timer, and more…
Last week, I brought the box into workshop, set up a random still life on the coffee table and invited participants to pick up and examine anything they liked. If you’re at home, artifacts from your past and present abound! If you’re on the go, open your purse or bag!
1st Prompt
Choose an object:
- Imagine a “formative” scene from its life
- Or, tell of its entire lifespan in only a few paragraphs (perhaps as an encyclopedia entry, contributor’s bio or obituary)
- Or, write a journal entry from the object’s perspective (in first person)
Spill for 15 minutes
Read what you just wrote out loud—to yourself or someone else.
2nd Prompt
Choose another object (or continue with the same one). Imagine/write about a conflict—between at least two people/characters—over this object and place the conflict in a specific setting:
- a wake
- a yard sale
- a bedroom
Consider whether you want to structure this scene as a conflict/crisis/resolution or as several (or a series of) connections and disconnections.
Spill for 25 minutes
Read what you just wrote out loud—to yourself or someone else.