Stellar Scholars

The Whisper and the Roar

by Don Wieland

Avanti Versus the Flying Saucers
by Don Wieland
for Stellar Scholars
 
The middle of the Twentieth Century found us with a decided preoccupation with fast, sporty cars and Unidentified Flying Objects or UFO's.  In other words, with advanced thinking and design symbolized by the now-iconic Studebaker Avanti and the sleek, silvery disks piloted by beings of alien origin and evident super-intelligence.

Whatever one's opinion on the latter subject, the incredible "flying saucers" were seen by credible witnesses from airline pilots to astronomers, even astronauts.  The most common (and most startling) in daylight was the inverted chrome-silver plate-atop-silver plate.   Characteristic of these mysterious flying craft was their nearly noiseless swissshing sound, a sharp contrast to the Avanti's glass-pak "thrumble." 

Mr. Wieland captures both against the setting of a precipitous mountain road on one of those gloriously remembered early mornings from everyone's halcyon youth.  Appropriately, the title of his painting is The Whisper and the Roar.  It is also known, in 1950-60's cinematic terms, as Avanti Versus the Flying Saucers and will be available exclusively, in limited edition, from The Avanti Store at http://theavanti.net/.
 
Don Wieland is the 2013 recipient of the Stellar Scholars Avanti Awards Emeritus for Artistic Achievement, the second consecutive year he has won the honor. See more at:
http://stellarscholars.net/Home7.html

Stellar Scholars Star Search:
America's Best Young Sci-Fi Writers

High school students are challenged to view the painting The Whisper and the Roar (aka Avanti Versus the Flying Saucers) by Don Wieland and craft a 500-word story about its compelling scene of an iconic Avanti sports car being pursued on a mountain road by a fleet of flying saucers! 

Best story will win $500 and be posted on Cum Laude, The Scholarly Evening Post, e-magazine of Stellar Scholars.  Google:  stellarscholars.net

The Whisper and the Roar
by Don Wieland