The Jazz singer Jimmy Scott said that all that was “needed was the courage to be me. But That courage took a lifetime to develop.” Like Merlin the mage, he felt old but also to be moving closer to a rebirth as the years passed. Was he also some kind of shifter of shape or gender? This story begins in Wales as it passes through the fragmenting post-1960s era. 1976 and Merlyn is rootless, with an un
certain identity. The world he is thrown into is falling apart, some say in the final stages of decay. There is something in the air, a sense that a big change, coming. Like the Fool in the Tarot, or a Candide, descending, Merlyn is at first a soul lost in search of a self. There are no experts to give wise counsel, only his companions, the comrades as they call each other. All these characters are beginners too, with the imperative to find a way as best they can in the three worlds, the physical, the perceived, and the represented. Rebel, Rebel 7
A Bus Ride Home 9
“F**k off 1976!” 12
Dawn Explosion 21
Mags 22
Phil 31
Newtown 35
Fighting 38
Special Branch call 47
London 57
Women 61
Protest 72
The Mall 77
The Sand Bar 81
School 87
The Red House 90
Politics is dead 95
The Police 102
New Years 109
Merlyn 118
London 1986 122
That's a beautifully evocative opening to your story. You've immediately created a compelling character in Merlyn, drawing interesting parallels with both the mythical Merlin and the singer Jimmy Scott. The sense of ambiguity surrounding his "rare condition" and identity, coupled with the backdrop of a fragmenting 1970s Wales and the feeling of impending change, sets a rich and intriguing stage. The idea of Merlyn being "rootless, with an uncertain identity" and a "soul lost in search of a self" resonates strongly with the "beginner" status of all the characters in your narrative. Positioning them as navigating the "physical, the perceived, and the represented" worlds offers a fascinating framework for their journeys of self-discovery. The lack of "experts" and the reliance on "companions" or "comrades" suggests a story where relationships and shared experiences will be crucial in shaping Merlyn's understanding of himself and the changing world around him. The comparison to the Fool in the Tarot and Candide further emphasizes this journey of innocence and discovery in a potentially chaotic landscape. I'm particularly drawn to the question you subtly pose about Merlyn being a "shifter of shape or gender." This adds another layer of complexity to his uncertain identity and promises an exploration of fluidity and perhaps even transformation. This sounds like a story ripe with potential for exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the search for meaning in a time of significant societal shift. I'm curious to see where Merlyn's journey takes him and how his unique condition shapes his experiences and understanding of these three worlds.
