Ye Olde Voicemaille
The Archeological Findings of Jennifer Brown & Alex Berman
Have you ever wondered what would happen if medieval serfs had answering machines? Well, we uncovered a treasure trove of records from the early-late-middle dark ages containing a hidden mystery about a chicken.
Sonnet 1 Discovered scratched into the dirt outside Old Geoffroi’s place Allegedly written by Sir Berthelemy II Here I sit in this hovel of a home Kept by my surly owner Old Geoffroi But I despise the dull brown monochrome Human trivialities but a toy I know I possess power beyond men I wish for greatness beyond what is here Through networking I must expand my sphere I can achieve good then and only then And so I scratch this poem in the ground With the hope some gentle soul will see Great passerinic wisdom they have found And with this knowledge they shall set me free To show that my success is a sure bet I write in a form not invented yet
“It was madness!” said Heloise P., a neighbor. “Yeah!” said Heloise H., also a neighbor.
A Newspaper Clipping from The Daily Peasant, dated eight furlongs past the harvest, the mid-early high-late Middle Ages.
TWO WENCHES CAUGHT ASSAULTING HIS ALL MERCIFUL LORD DUKE VISCOUNT BERTHELEMY II ESQ.
By Sir Fancilad Fancy
In Mudshire last week, two disgraceful wenches were caught with their unseemly hands on his All Merciful Lord Duke Viscount Berthelemy II Esq. “It was madness!” said Heloise P., a neighbor. “Yeah!” said Heloise H., also a neighbor. The wenches claim the mayor is a turkey masquerading as a chicken, but the mayor denies such vile accusations, saying, “Gobble gobble.” Article continued on page 4.
Process
We initially stumbled upon the idea for our pair project when discussing what a modern epistolary project could entail. We loved the idea of an epistolary-style piece because we could both contribute one of the main voices and build a dialogue together. Eventually, the idea of Ye Olde Voicemaille was born, mostly because we were tickled with the concept of bringing a newer technology into a vaguely medieval time period and all the jokes that could ensue. We worked together to develop a plot and had a lot of fun creating new antics for the mysterious Sir Berthelemy for Hovel and Cesspit to gossip about. The images were created with the Historic Tale Construction Kit.
Alex Berman
Alex Berman was born and raised in Manhattan and is currently a high school sophomore in the Bronx. When not out running (preferably in the rain), Alex can usually be found drawing, writing, or reading with a cup of tea and a cuddly kitten. Alex is also known (to no one) as a Corduroy Pants Enthusiast and would really like to get that title going if you don’t mind. Just, you know, the next time you’re on the topic of pants (corduroy), give Alex a mention.
Jennifer L. Brown
Jennifer L. Brown is an author of middle grade and young adult novels. She spent many years as a performer, working in theatres across the country in plays ranging from contemporary musicals to Shakespeare. When not writing, she tutors standardized tests, English, and essay writing. Her novel won a space in an intensive mentoring program called Pitch Wars in the fall of 2017. She has served as a mentor in that same program for the last four years. Her writing is represented by Alyssa Jennette at Stonesong Literary.
