Midnight in Moscow - Ravished in a Flash SF-1

[YellowSnowDotCom]

I haven't read much about women specifically going to Russia, but I have seen general material on Americans going there because they believed that strongly in communism. Behind the Urals: An American Worker in Russia's City of Steel, by John Scott is another one I read in school (and this one I do remember the title). Nothing remotely erotic, but if you want a harsh tale of working conditions in a Soviet steel mill, this is it.

For everyone interested in the subject of American women going to the Soviet Union, American Girls in Red Russia: Chasing the Soviet Dream by Julia L. Mickenberg (University of Chicago Press, 2017) is openly accessible on the Net. Scholarly and a bit dry, but there's no substitute.

The Forsaken: An American Tragedy in Stalin’s Russia by Tim Tzouliadis is for the general reader. It suffers from certain defects.

[YellowSnowDotCom]

Russians? Latvians? A ship? Revolution?

Where have I seen this before?

The present story lacks revolutions and Latvians, but I do love ships! It was a little ironic to have my unnamed protagonist, a devotee-to-be of proletarian art, crossing the Atlantic together with the future luminary of abstract expressionism.

[YellowSnowDotCom]

I liked the reference to Sappho.
Almost expected her to get into trouble again.

Sappho most likely will do so, a few years on. I might find something to do for my artist narrator as well – she might decide to leave her Moscow worries behind and move to Berlin... in 1932.

As I said in the other comment, I think the theme comes accross weak this round.
But this, and its direct competitor are my faves.

Thank you!

[Claire]

So I get the implementation of the theme here. Linking it to the capitalism vs. communism system competition is clever. I think the theme would have come across even stronger if she first went to the US thinking that capitalism was the way to go and then came back disillusioned only to now realize that there might be less solidarity among soviet socialists than she thought... At least, I didn't get the sense of the narration that she was ever enamored with the US. That would have captured the "always greener on the other side" depending on where you are right now nicely.

But I think the story is a strong contender as is!

[YellowSnowDotCom]

... I think the theme would have come across even stronger if she first went to the US thinking that capitalism was the way to go and then came back disillusioned only to now realize that there might be less solidarity among soviet socialists than she thought... At least, I didn't get the sense of the narration that she was ever enamored with the US. ...

Her mother and father did -- in 1913, my protagonist had not attained the age of reason yet, but I guess there was an atmosphere of hope that influenced her as well. Leaving a shtetl for New York City sure was a shock!

By the time she grew up her father was a Party member, and once Sacco and Vanzetti went to the electric chair in August 1927, she decided to have nothing to do with the US and left for Mexico.

[sinfulwords]

So I came to your story collections to find training day, but saw it was a consensual story and those aren’t really my jam…so I looked at your body of work and came across this one. I was very intrigued

I confess myself to be very interested in political philosophy and labor/communist history, so, by extension Russian history.

When I read the title and teaser I was imagining a story where a woman is swept up by the NKVD for whatever reason and is systemically ravished as a means of torture to extract information or a confession that the party wanted.

Your idea was interesting too can’t go wrong with a good ole robbed and raped fantasy!!! which was accurate for the time since there was a lot of organized crime in Moscow during the 30s. Especially because the first 5 year plan really did a number on the food supply. And if political history has taught me anything it’s taught me when people are poor and hungry crime rates go up.

SOOO, if you’ll excuse me for being pedantic when the narrator said there were no gangsters in Moscow and called the criminals her comrades that wouldn’t be too historically accurate, simply because there were ample criminals and they typically rejected Soviet ideals which I’m sure anyone living in Moscow would be totally aware of. Criminals were not with that shit maybe that’s why they got such harsh sentences in the GULAG…it’s well known Stalin wasn’t a big fan of opposition I don’t mean to be nit-picky tho, I apologize for that! this is just a niche interest of mine so I’m keen to share my knowledge base

I liked your American comrade girlie pop tho. I think it’s believable that an American during that time would go live in Moscow, especially if she was a red diaper baby(her parents are communists). I’m sure The Great Depression combined with the growing socialist movement in the USA at the time really made the ussr seem like an attractive alternative to a lot of Americans. One example I know of is Paul Robeson, a famous singer and football player (American football). As a black man he preferred the Soviet Union (for obvious reasons) and spent a lot of time there, frequently flying back and forth between Russia and the USA…..That certainly didn’t do him any favors come the McCarthy era

I noticed this was written for a flash contest as well, that’s sort of a cool concept! It must’ve been difficult to write a story in so few words but u did a pretty decent job here. I was entertained. Partly because it was russian history adjecent and partly because it was a rape scene

I liked how the narrator was nameless too. Suuuper mysterious vibes that, in my opinion, really complimented the title and overall ambiance of the story. midnight in Moscow is soo film noir coded. Such a title really gives a cryptically eerie quality, kind of like the feeling when you’re walking alone at night. so keeping the narrator anonymous really enhanced that for me

This piece of narration was tight

then I returned to Russia, leaving the imperialism of the electric chair behind. The old bourgeois America is dying–Hoover can’t stop the coming revolution. The new hope for mankind is here, under the Red Flag.

….



Anyway cool story! Loved the idea! Kudos brother kudos …In the Cherry Orchard is next on my list for your work

[Lucius]

I'm happy to see your comment, and I'm flattered! But let me clarify some things...

Your idea was interesting too can’t go wrong with a good ole robbed and raped fantasy!!! which was accurate for the time since there was a lot of organized crime in Moscow during the 30s. Especially because the first 5 year plan really did a number on the food supply. And if political history has taught me anything it’s taught me when people are poor and hungry crime rates go up.

SOOO, if you’ll excuse me for being pedantic when the narrator said there were no gangsters in Moscow and called the criminals her comrades that wouldn’t be too historically accurate, simply because there were ample criminals and they typically rejected Soviet ideals which I’m sure anyone living in Moscow would be totally aware of. Criminals were not with that shit maybe that’s why they got such harsh sentences in the GULAG…it’s well known Stalin wasn’t a big fan of opposition I don’t mean to be nit-picky tho, I apologize for that! this is just a niche interest of mine so I’m keen to share my knowledge base

That's interesting, because for certain reasons I'm interested in the matter as well. Let me explain.

'Perception equals reality' is at play here, no doubt. The narrator knows at the intellectual level that there is crime in Moscow, but she is narrating from the heart. For her, the problem is but one of the remnants of the wicked tsarist past, to be swept away soon.

That said, what kind of crime is she thinking of -- when she does think about crime, that is? There are no gangs in the newspapers, whereas in New York City, she read the tabloids -- what's more, she had Dutch and Legs and Owney pointed out to her!

Sure there are hooligans defacing the Dog Square fountain etc., but deep down they're just itching to be reborn as good Soviet workers... cos the narrator's watched Road to Life a few times too many. Hence the 'friends' bit.

[sinfulwords]

@Lucius

omg cool! Politics nerds unite

Ahhhh ok I see what you did there! You were showcasing how our anonymous narrator was propagandized: perception versus reality! VERY cool trick there, and I’m surprised it went over my head

Very insightful, my dude, u were ON those little details! I was wrong to have doubted you of course Pravda isn’t going to report on criminal activity save maybe how well the party is sweeping it off the streets! ….and then there’s American media which always wants to profit off of crime and tragedy Both are misguided in their own special way

and ya know what? I agree with the narrator about the wicked tzar, cause I ain’t like the Romanovs either I feel like Russia can’t catch a break! They went from neglectful monarchy, to brutal communist dictatorship, to slightly less brutal communist dictatorship, to capitalist dictatorship all in the span of like two generations. like, WHY are their governments always out to exploit them in one way or another!!?!? que lastima!!!

NOT ROAD TO LIFE ”guys let’s live peacefully” ‍…. so our anonymous narrator believes the hooligans yearn for community and state-curated friendship I’m DEAD

[Lucius]

@Lucius

omg cool! Politics nerds unite

Ahhhh ok I see what you did there! You were showcasing how our anonymous narrator was propagandized: perception versus reality! VERY cool trick there, and I’m surprised it went over my head

Thank you! I like 'calibrating' the narration, but it isn't easy to do and it doesn't come naturally when the story length is Flash. I'd say The Mondina is where I handled it a bit better.

Very insightful, my dude, u were ON those little details! I was wrong to have doubted you of course Pravda isn’t going to report on criminal activity save maybe how well the party is sweeping it off the streets! ….and then there’s American media which always wants to profit off of crime and tragedy Both are misguided in their own special way

Exactly, yep. In the early 1930s Pravda carried crime news along the lines of 'Rail Wreckers, those Fucking Saboteurs, Shot' after a train crash, but that was pretty much it.

and ya know what? I agree with the narrator about the wicked tzar, cause I ain’t like the Romanovs either I feel like Russia can’t catch a break! They went from neglectful monarchy, to brutal communist dictatorship, to slightly less brutal communist dictatorship, to capitalist dictatorship all in the span of like two generations. like, WHY are their governments always out to exploit them in one way or another!!?!? que lastima!!!

The Jewish narrator and her family are obviously no fans of the Russian imperial state, fittingly abjuring the realm in the year of the Romanov Tercentenary. Few Jews were, for reasons that are all too obvious.

Russia can't catch a break indeed.

NOT ROAD TO LIFE ”guys let’s live peacefully” ‍…. so our anonymous narrator believes the hooligans yearn for community and state-curated friendship I’m DEAD

Yeah, she's a regular Leopoldine the Pussy here. Guess it's off to Western Europe for her. At least the narrator isn't naive enough to linger in 1932 Berlin.

[sinfulwords]

@Lucius

I don’t think the concept going over my head was attributed to ur writing at all. I think considering the length u calibrated the narration perfectly. After rereading it I’m almost embarrassed I didn’t pick up on it like u literally detail the narrator mentioning hooligans putting cigarettes in the lions mouth in dog square! so, of course she was aware of the concept of crime in Moscow. I can just be a little obtuse sometimes …and I think I was just a bit eager to share my knowledge base too

lol good ole Pravda in the party we trust

Oh my god yeah, as a Russian Jew she would absolutely hate the Romanovs, their parade of pomposity aside, their antisemitism was egregious….she probably celebrated how the Bolsheviks humanly dispatched them in the end

Bruh! FOR REAL! She better swerve away from all of Germany from 33 onward through 45 maybe she can go to France until 1940 Nice is pretty nice