Carolyn Agosta enjoys sweet smell of success
From the UNC-Charlotte Magazine for Alumni and Friends, Winter-Spring
2002 issue
Written By Sam Nixon; Photo by Wade Bruton
When Carolyn Steele Agosta sniffed out the British
Broadcasting Corporation’s “dot dot dot” online story competition, it smelled like a
winner.
The 1987 education graduate used the sense of smell
as a symbol of her own self-discovery in the short story “Coming to my
Senses,” one of the contest’s five winning entries.
“Coming to my Senses” is about a woman who regains
her olfactory powers in the middle of life and is overcome by the world of scents
and aromas. Agosta, who lives in Sherrills Ford, submitted the first quarter of her
2,000-word story to the BBC, as did 300 other writers from around the world. She was chosen
as one of 11 semi-finalists and
submitted the remainder, which led to her selection
as one of this year’s winners. A professional actor read Agosta’s story in February
on BBC Radio 4.
The story is a fitting one for Agosta. She began
writing four years ago and enjoyed early success, with her first story earning second place
in a Charlotte Writers Club competition. Several other regional and online publications
followed until Agosta caught the attention of the BBC.
“This is the big time for me,” she said. “It’s pretty
exciting.”
A mother of four, Agosta had spent much of her time
caring for her children and her own mother. It was only in recent years that she finally found the time to embark on a writing career. Like her smell-obsessed character, the experience
has consumed her.
“Writing has taken over my life. I can’t wait to
get up in the morning and get to work,” she said. “I might not be this driven, if I had started
younger. I feel like I have to make the most of the time I have to do this.”
Agosta, a former member of UNC Charlotte’s Alumni
Association Board of Governors, is nearing completion of her first novel, And the Day
After That. The book is a story of someone who, in Agosta’s words, “messes up” very young and very publicly, then must go on with life. While she acknowledges that the initial spark of inspiration involved a certain White House intern, Agosta let her imagination
take over from there. She plans to have the book ready to send to publishers who may hear her work on the radio and offer her another whiff of success.
People are saying
Readers' comments on "Another Weekend
with Susie" (as published in Peninsular Magazine, Issue 27)
"It made me laugh and wince in equal measures… I
was totally absorbed by this slice of life. I like the fact that the writer
steered clear of a sentimental ending."
"Excellent, warm, poignant and entirely believable. I
kept wondering what the end would be and when I came to it, it really was the
only end that would have worked. Faultless."
"A wonderful heartrending tale full of fine
well-written observations."
"Powerful, rang totally true and carried me along in
painful fascination."
"The best by far. It held my interest all the way.
One could feel the tension and futility of it all between the two sisters."
"This is a typical modern American short story and I
don't like 'em! Lumpy and uncomfortable to read; nothing flows and I don't want
to have to work hard at what should be a pleasure." (Well, you can't
please them all. C.)
Customer review of "Another Weekend with Susie" in the Eclectica anthology at Amazon - For those who have been reading Eclectica Magazine on the net for the past seven years, it's no surprise that the first printed volume of the magazine's best fiction has resulted in this stunning collection. For the newcomer to Eclectica, these thirty short stories will undoubtedly inspire the reader to visit the popular online version of the magazine. Tom and Julie Dooley, Eclectica's magazine editors, have made a concerted effort to publish talented writers from all over the world, but more importantly, the editors have always concerned themselves with the elements of exceptional fiction. Regardless of the writer's background, there exists a tremendous storytelling ability at work in each story in this collection. The Eclectica anthology is jam-packed with stories that surprise, disturb, and ultimately intrigue the reader. In particular, Mike O'Driscoll's "Dancing With Creation" is a singular literary achievement. O'Driscoll is both eloquent and relentless in his bold observations of humanity and familial relationships in this tremendous and unsettling coming-of-age story. David A. Taylor's tightly composed and satisfying story, "Pelagro," is equally compelling in dealing with the complexities of one's limitations and failures, within the context of a father and son relationship. Zdravka's Evtimova's "The Little Boy" is a starkly realized tale of emotional struggle. Evtimova uses an impressively narrow lens for her descriptive narrative, and delivers a solid twist for the ending. Adam Marcus' highly original and surrealistic "Personal Assets" keeps the reader turning the page as the story gathers imaginative psychological momentum and stretches the limits of the character's dread and fear. Daniel Cubias' "The Big Inning" is an impressive stylistic accomplishment as Cubias' dark imagination travels from one baseball player's interior monologue to the next. Carolyn Steele Agosta's "Another Weekend With Susie" exposes the reader to the challenges of dealing with a schizophrenic relative. While Agosta's protagonist resents the burden of coping with the demands of an aging mother and a schizophrenic sibling (Susie), she also reveals a tremendous sense of loss and grief, and ultimately, her struggle to come to terms with the direction her family's lives have taken. Each story in this collection invites the reader into a unique and often disturbing world. Given the state of contemporary society, it's not unusual that the writers' themes tend toward humanity's struggle with its darker side. This fascination with the "struggle" is perhaps a recurring notion in this collection, but each story reflects an author who successfully takes thematic, imaginative, and emotional risks. True to their chosen title "Eclectica," the editors have gathered an impressive collection of diverse styles and thematic concerns, and the result is a must-have collection for readers who enjoy excellent, thought-provoking fiction.
From "What Makes a BuzzWords
Story?" by David King, fiction editor of BuzzWords.
"The Last Noel by Carolyn Steele Agosta is the
only Christmas Story that was submitted but that isn't why I accepted it. My
first reason is that (despite the fact that she once accused me of being 'rude')
I admire Carolyn's writing - it's crisp and clear and she's another who knows
how to tell a good tale. The other thing is, this one made me cry.
On the surface, there's a familiar enough account of kids
being tiresome but the real story is how a family copes with having to say
goodbye to Coffey, their much-loved old dog. Now Zoe and I have a border collie
named Sabre; he isn't old but I found myself thinking how I'd feel at having to
make such a decision.
Okay, you might think I'm a sentimental old fool but I
would say although Carolyn's story touched me, it wasn't on a maudlin level. It
made me really think, and if a story can do that then it's a pretty good one in
my opinion." (BuzzWords, Issue 15)
From "Readers Write",
I insist David's piece on why he chooses stories should
continue. Although I don't always agree with his comments, I find them
illuminating. I agree with him wholeheartedly about The Last Noel. It was
moving without being sentimental. It captured the feeling that Christmas always
inspires in me…The story also made me ponder again why I am continually
finding American (both Canadian and US) fiction, especially by women, far
superior to what we Brits write." (BuzzWords, Issue 16)
From "Readers Write",
"I read David's bit about why he chose the stories
before I read them and when I was reading The Last Noel I found it moving
but I wasn't crying like David said it made him cry, not until I got to the last
two sentences, that is, then it was half a box of Kleenex (the expensive balsam
kind!) before I could compose myself." (BuzzWords, Issue 16)
Comments at east of the web on my story
After the Wink:
Quality: absorbing and imaginatively worded. This is
writing with soul, the way it should be. You're given no chance to get bored.
Mt.
This is not a genre I typically read. But I was astounded
by Ms. Agosta's writing. Her character is real and lives in an all too real
world. It touched me and made me smile. Thank you. Will Mac
My appreciation of this wonderfully written little
vignette has to do with a real life encounter similar to the one in the story.
And, just to dispel forever the Men from Mars, women from Venus theory, I was a
fortyish man at the time I nearly succumbed to 'the wink'. I too managed to
recognize and acknowledge the very valid fear of losing what mattered most in
exchange for what might ultimately have not amounted to anything at all. Having
said that, I naturally, over the years, have had moments of regret. These will
now strike with less frequency and intensity as this neat little bit of writing
helped me with my perspective. (no name)
I loved this. I loved the way that, though there was humor
and a lightness of touch, the characters were touching and vulnerable. It was
also beautifully economical and the deadpan 'afterward' ending was great. E.
Baines.
Lovely story. There was a longing in it that I can
appreciate, a longing for something more than what one has. I must admit I
really liked the description of that kiss. It seems like the kind of story I
will remember, out of the thousands I have read, when one day I will have become
nearly invisible myself. Beautiful.
Comments about the movie "Coming to My Senses"
At Microcinemascene: http://www.microcinemascene.com/artman/publish/review_coming_to_my_senses.php
At Indianapolis FilmNet (includes photos of the production) - http://www.indianapolisfilm.net/4images/categories.php?cat_id=27
Created on 04/09/2005 04:33 PM by cagosta
Updated on 02/24/2006 01:04 PM by cagosta
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