HarryC

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I have 162 stories published in one collection on the site.
My stories have been read 235635 times and 179 of my stories have been cherry picked.
95 of my 725 comments have been voted Great Feedback with a total of 104 votes

HarryC's picture
Kevin Marman

Care worker, writer, memester, autist, dissenter.

I like people who not only think outside the box, but reshape the box into something else!

I've been writing since I was 10.  It's my sanctuary - though the structure often needs maintenance.  Over the last twenty or so years, I've won some writing prizes for short fiction, poetry and playwriting.  In 2013, I published my first novel, 'In the Day'.  Looking at it now, I can see all sorts of things I would change - but I suppose that shows progress.  I also have a collection of short fiction, 'Sacred Shirts', which was published in 2024.

In 2015, at the grand age of 56, I was finally diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Condition (Asperger's).  I live alone with my cat, Daisy, and lots of books.

My stories

Cherry
Pick of the Month

Tom Tom Turnaround (5) (ii)

It was a hard decision. But a month later saw her sailing out of Liverpool on the Royal George with everything she owned in the world crammed into a...
2 likes
Cherry

Tom Tom Turnaround (5) (i)

As Tom got older, they would sometimes find different things to do in the evenings. Mum might sit him on her lap in the back room, and they'd try to...
2 likes
Cherry

Gift: A Son's Story (extract) - Reflection

I'm continuing with the final draft of 'Gift' - my memoir/journal based on my time as my mother's full-time carer for the last few months of her life...
1 likes

On Becoming Human Again

Oh goodness, how I wish that the Russians, or Chinese or North Koreans, or whoever would take out all the mobile networks so that everyone you see in...
Cherry

Dogsbody (3)

After the pub job, my money soon dried up. I was back to making calls and going through the local papers. One evening, Mr Watson – a tall elderly man...
2 likes

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95 of my comments have received 104 Great Feedback votes

1 Vote

He's not kidding me - just as

Posted on Sat, 14 Sep 2024

He's not kidding me - just as Blair didn't.  Labour is Labour in name only now.   As a lifelong socialist, my conscience is clear in not helping this wanker get elected.  Well said, Yutka. 

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Posted in Who do you think you are kidding, Mr. Starmer?

1 Vote

First class!

Posted on Fri, 13 Sep 2024

First class!

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Posted in The Big End

1 Vote

The 'double empathy' problem

Posted on Fri, 13 Sep 2024

The 'double empathy' problem helps to explain it.  If you get two people together from entirely different cultures, with no sharing of language, belief system, cultural norms, etc... they'll have the same problem.  I've a theory that it's at the...

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Posted in What is Autism? A brief guide...

1 Vote

Same here.  Chuckling all the

Posted on Fri, 13 Sep 2024

Same here.  Chuckling all the way.  Laughed out loud at

'You turn to the wife and kids. They are sitting in the car. The signs are bad but they still have hope.'

And 'The Majestic Hote.' Great!

Made me think of a Denzel...

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Posted in The Big End

1 Vote

Thanks, Di.  I'll never

Posted on Thu, 12 Sep 2024

Thanks, Di.  I'll never forget that moment.  It didn't take long after this, incidentally, for Greg to become my 'right-hand man'.  I ended up being able to get him to do anything!  It was wonderful.

Thanks for the cherries, too, eds!

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Posted in Taking Care 5 (ii)

1 Vote

Can't help wondering how much

Posted on Tue, 10 Sep 2024

Can't help wondering how much 'War is good for business' comes into decision-making, too.  Greased palms, donors with influence.  Snouts in the trough.  And fear of the media/establishment wielding the old 'anti-semitism' brickbats again.

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Posted in Memo to a new Labour MP Regarding Israel’s Latest Atrocity

1 Vote

Thank you!  I keep thinking

Posted on Tue, 10 Sep 2024

Thank you!  I keep thinking these are a bit rambling, and keep abandoning them.  This is very encouraging.

I set out with the idea of writing about all of my 20 years in care - but this first job, which I had on and off over a 5-year...

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Posted in Taking Care 4 (vi) - Day Centre

1 Vote

Quite.

Posted on Tue, 10 Sep 2024

Quite.

'Do try and keep a straight face.'

...and hide the other one.

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Posted in Memo to a new Labour MP Regarding Israel’s Latest Atrocity

1 Vote

Naturally, I've had to

Posted on Sat, 07 Sep 2024

Naturally, I've had to amalgamate some episodes, and do a little invention.  It's inevitable with anything autobiographical.  It was 20 years ago, after all. We don't always remember things accurately, too. But many of the memories are very clear...

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Posted in Taking Care 4 (ii) - Day Centre

1 Vote

Brilliant!

Posted on Sun, 08 Sep 2024

Brilliant!

I was a 'dunce' at school - in spite of being bright.  Had to wait until 56 to get the solution.

I've never had a problem with metaphors, figures of speech and figurative language.  I love slang and things like that.  But...

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Posted in A hundred moments in autism - First attempts at diagnosis

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