Lana V Lynx
Bio
Avid reader and occasional writer of satire and short fiction. For my own sanity and security, I write under a pen name. My books: Moscow Calling - 2017 and President & Psychiatrist
@lanalynx.bsky.social
Stories (566)
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The Master and Margarita - Critique
Bulgakov’s novel is arguably the world’s best-known work by a modern Russian writer. However, Bulgakov would have been horrified that his “novel of temptation by evil” became a mass culture commodity. He wrote it for one reader - Stalin - pleading to set free dissident writers kept in lunatic asylums.
By Lana V Lynx3 years ago in Critique
War & Peace
The Russian word "mir" (peace) has another meaning - "world, society." While translating the novel's title as "War and Peace" is logical for juxtopposition, Tolstoy's main goal was to show how war affects the world. It is Natasha's love and life story in the context of war, peace, and society.
By Lana V Lynx3 years ago in Critique
08.08.08
It was my graduation ceremony date. I loved that it was scheduled for 08.08.08. The date was easy to remember and I saw perhaps an unjustified significance in that sequence of numbers. It took me 4.5 years to finish my doctoral program at LSU, and my hard work and joys and tears of going through it as a single mother of a toddler was already paying off: I was about to start my first job in the United States at Georgia State University.
By Lana V Lynx3 years ago in Journal
To Tell Or Not To Tell - 2
Paul and Julie met in college at a party and fell in love almost right away. He was a software engineering senior, and she was a second-year accounting student. After he graduated, Paul enrolled himself into a two-year MBA program at the same college so that Julie could catch up with him. They got married right after they both graduated. They did not want to have kids right away, being young professionals and enjoying life together. They traveled a lot, both at home and internationally, mostly for his work as an up-and-coming international IT consultant. They attended a lot of parties and concerts, and generally led what some would call a bohemian urban life.
By Lana V Lynx3 years ago in Chapters
To Tell Or Not To Tell - 3
The adoption agent called them about three days later and told them that Lucy didn’t have anything alarming in her pregnancy history. In fact, when her mother was still alive, she made sure that Lucy ate enough healthy food, took her pre-natal vitamins, and had no contact with her “bad” boyfriend. The baby seemed to be healthy, developing normally. The agent also said that Lucy was determined to give up the baby now that she saw them. Before the call, Julie and Paul have talked through all possibilities and decided that even if the baby could develop some health problems in the future they’d still adopt him. “We’ll just watch everything carefully, and sign him up for all possible sports,” Paul said. They ultimately decided to go through with the adoption. Within a couple of days, they furnished the paperwork, and had Lucy sign all the documents. For the rest of Lucy’s pregnancy, they took her into their home and made sure she had everything she needed. Paul and Julie were present during the birth and when the baby was born, he was so defenseless and perfect at the same time, they both fell in love with him right away. They decided to name him Mark after Paul’s father. After a day in the hospital and no complications, Paul and Julie came home a happy young family.
By Lana V Lynx3 years ago in Chapters
To Tell or Not To Tell - 4
It took Paul about three days to find the information about Mark’s biological parents. He found out that Lucy died of an overdose about a year after they moved. Her boyfriend was so shaken by her death that he returned to his parents, cleaned up and went to college. He was happily married now, running his father’s family business, with five-year-old twins. When Paul tracked him down on the phone and told him there was a chance Mark would find out about them and want to connect with his biological father, Lucy’s ex said he’d rather keep that part of his history secret from his wife and urged Paul to discourage Mark from seeking contact. Paul was relieved to share the news with Julie. Even though she was distressed and sad to learn of Lucy’s passing, Julie was also relieved to know that there was no threat to their relationship with Mark from his biological parents. They both agreed that it would be easier to tell the truth knowing this information, but they still did not know how to tell him.
By Lana V Lynx3 years ago in Chapters
To Tell or Not To Tell - 5
While Mark was out clearing his head, Julie and Paul cleaned up the living room from the wrapping paper on autopilot. They hardly exchanged any words since Mark left, and to get herself distracted, Julie unwrapped her present from Mark – a large frame with family pictures of their joint outings and events from the entire year, arranged in chronological order. It was accompanied by Mark’s handwritten card saying, “To the best mom in the world, to remind you of our good times. Love you to the Sun and back, - Mark.” Julie showed the present to Paul and started crying. Paul hugged her and asked what he could do to make her feel better.
By Lana V Lynx3 years ago in Chapters
