Chapter 20 is up

[rthstewart]

It's getting looong, so I divided it into another part.  I also have had a lot of problems with the third part, still to be posted, so... here goes.

A few sources include:
The Metropolitan Baptist Church and choir singing Lift Every Voice and Sing, here
Peace in the valley, sung in 2009 at the funeral for Mamma Jeffrey, here
Wintley Phipps singing Amazing Grace at Carnegie Hall, here
Easter Sunday at the Refreshing Spring Church, here
History of Negro Spirituals, here
The African American Funeral Programs from the East Central Georgia, here

Comments

[be-themoon.livejournal.com]

that was so well-done, rth! I really, really enjoyed it.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I've been very, very frustrated with the end of this story and the response. Thank you very much for the support and for reviewing!

[lady_songsmith]

Oh, that was fantastic! I actually managed to not cry during Swing Low (this is impressive because that song alone can usually move me to tears) and then Wrasse completely undid me.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Awww. It's funny. The Wrasse addition was late. I felt I need another one beside the Centaur. Thank you so much for reviewing and for the support. I really appreciate it.

[autumnia]

You put an impressive amount of research into this one, Ruth. I could almost picture myself sitting beside the Colonel, Tebbitt or Susan at the service.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Awww thanks so much! It was interesting research, to be sure. I had wanted to use Amazing Grace, but it really did not seem to be in common usage. I stressed inordinately over the processional selection.

[wingedflight21.livejournal.com]

I come home and lookie what's waiting for me. :D

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for reviewing!!

[the_rck]

Yea! This is a treat!

I really like how you've woven in the different sorts of funerals.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! I really appreciate the feedback for what has been a very, very difficult set of chapters.

[min023.livejournal.com]

So beautiful, and so wonderfully researched, and some of it's so sad and other bits so triumphal. Lovely, really lovely.

[metonomia.livejournal.com]

For your worldbuilding: http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu312/Metonomia/Icons%20and%20Fic%20Images/lego.png?t=1272962104

[ilysia-039.livejournal.com]

Agh. Have not yet had time to read the chapter. Must... find... time...

On the other hand, though, I did finally read the rather epic Comment!Fic of Doom, and was completely blown away by just about everything. Le sigh. I miss everything.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Comment!Fic of Doom was aweseome, even we (read )completely over ran Animus' journal. Good luck with RL!

THIS is why I never read WIPs...

[(Anonymous)]

...'cause if they're good, I check for updates every 5 minutes, convincing myself that the author is living in some parallel dimension where time moves differently.

Also, your Pevensies make me cry, in the good way. And WHEN will Asim finally meet Lucy?...

Thanks for the update, and keep 'em coming,

- Gillian

Re: THIS is why I never read WIPs...

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Gillian! The inspiration for the mystically delicious icons! Long time no see! I am sorry about those delays. The end is really not coming well at all and I'm bitterly unhappy about it. I realized last night that I've worked on 15 different written documents in the last week on my Oracle of Delphi laptop and not one of them is fic. I forced myself to open the 5,800 words already written of Chapter 21. So, I am trying and at this point, guilt is practically the only thing forcing my fingers to the keyboard. I HATE unfinished fics, especially ones that are so close to the bitter end.

Re: THIS is why I never read WIPs...

[(Anonymous)]

Separation anxiety ::nods wisely::. It's always hard to actually finish something you're invested in - you want to get it just right and it's never exactly the way you pictured it... not to mention the whole "ohmygod it'll be over and what then??!!..."

It's OK, you've given your readers a lot of joy with your stories - we can muster enough patience to let you work your way through at your own pace ;-)

(we'll the discuss the whole "but then you have to write about TQSiT-'verse Susan after The Crash, not to mention Susan-and-Tebbitt -finally-get-to-Real!Narnia" when you're feeling better...)

- Gillian