ARRR!! Avast! Scurvy! … ummm, bilge?
There is a scene in Disney’s 2003 blockbuster “The Curse of the Black Pearl '' in which an experienced pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, and a total novice, William Turner, commandeer a British warship. As they charge up to the British sailors, young William gets caught up in the moment and shouts, “Avast!” – at which everyone bursts into laughter. Clearly, in this cinematic universe, that is not how pirates talk. And perhaps you too have tried to talk like a pirate, only to stumble after a few words on the realization that you don’t actually know many “pirate words.” Apparently, real pirates didn’t either! As much fun as it is to celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19th), the whole concept is based on, shall we say, revisionist history. Real pirates most likely just talked like everybody else. How boring!
Fortunately, the pirate genre in literature (and film) has never bothered much with historical accuracy, and far be it from us to break with tradition. And with that in mind: let's talk about our new pirate story!
Pirate Problems is our very first pirate story, written and narrated by Ryan Aoto. It centers on the short-tempered Captain Cross. Stranded on a deserted island with a broken boat and an incompetent crew, Captain Cross has sought solitude. He knows knows that blowing up at his crew could lead to mutiny. Yet, before long it becomes clear that without his guidance, they will never fix their ship and get off the island. Although irreverent and fun on a superficial level, the story addresses some serious topics: Teamwork. Sense of Duty. Selfishness. And of course Anger, and how to deal with it (or how not to).
Listen and share, Dial-A-Story mateys! Yo Ho Ho!