Thomas Wilson - The Village Common of RI

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Village Voices is the showcase of creativity by the members and volunteers of The Village Common of Rhode Island. We welcome submissions in all media: 2- and 3-dimensional art, creative writing, transformative ideas, crafting, and art collections. As important is the personal stories that accompany each submission.

See the guidelines for submission.

Thomas Wilson

Thomas Wilson: Tom Wilson was a lecturer at Brown University after graduation, teaching at Brown for a semester and a half until he began to lose his eyesight and had to resign. "It was a blow," says Tom. "But the good thing was I started writing and publishing right away. So it was a good thing. Among those works that came out of me was the publication in the Paris Review, Anteas, North American Review, American Fiction '87, and others." Although nearly blind, Tom continues to write every day.

Artist's Statement: Some time ago I was at a place called Yaddo, an artists’ retreat near Saratoga Springs. Philip Roth was there and other founding members of the Paris Review. Overhearing the conversation, I vowed to someday be in the Review with my own work. Many years went by and, low and behold, a long story of mine appeared in the Paris Review. On the strength of that I was invited to read from my own work at the 40th anniversary of the Paris Review to be held at Marion, Mass in a waterfront mansion. And so I did. At the podium I was joined by William Styron who read from Sophie’s Choice, and George Plimpton who read a story about a concord grape, thrown from a high building, landing in his mouth. Then I read my story. Because my published piece, Dominion, was too long I read another story and that was very well received, I must say. To be asked to join that company and read from my work was a highlight of my reading life and a great honor. It stays with me to this day.

Manned Flight
A story by Thomas Wilson

On the east coast of England stands the White Cliffs of Dover. Their height and color are such that they are easily seen from across the English Channel. But to the north and south of Dover, no land is visible from France, only troubled and unruly waters into which no sane captain of a ship would ever stray.

As he left the great cliffs behind him, Tyler Hoffman ignored a fear that he had taken his wing handlers with him. If one of the men to his left or right froze and failed to let go of his wing in time, he could take every one of them down to the waters below. But this was of no concern to Hoffman. At that moment he was completely absorbed in watching the grass beneath him disappear.
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