Shel Graves' Sensorium

Taste:  raspberries Sight: turquoise water with pale green reflection, shimmer Sound: a poetry playlist ; the higher pitch of her plaintive bark; soda can crack, fizzles Smell:  Oil of Abramelin, a ceremonial magic oil blended from aromatic plant materials as described in a medieval grimoire Touch: waterfall; her tense body, her twitching tail; she lays beside the resting foot quiet until it shifts, she gnaws it Extra: kakistocracy: a state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens viriditas: the spiritually invigorating power of (divine) nature; 'truth of greenness' ?: there needs to be a special word for writerly persistence obmutescence: the usually stubborn or willful act of becoming mute or silent pinnajarqviit: humbling, sacred places in the landscape where all are welcome jookalorum and zizzaparoola: extraordinary exclamations via O. Henry "If your daily life seems of no account, don't blame it; blame yours...

I've been bingeing on some short stories so I'm posting a few of my Springy Short Story reviews (stories that keep springing to mind) to remember the details of the ones I know will pleasantly haunt me. I'll also post a review of a few great collections I've read recently (in the running for my personal Book of the Year).  "The Elixir of Youth" by Brain Stableford  Why it springs to mind: A contes cruel, a story which fascinates as everything gets worse and worse and worse. Where read: Lightspeed Magazine , Feb. 2017 Summary: A story about making wine and breaking family ties with terrible results. Memorable: How the wine is aged. Rats! Quote: “Now that...is a truly excellent wine.” Personal connection : Prolific author Brian Stableford has been publishing stories since 1965, but this was my first encounter with his works and contes cruels. As much as I am a proponent of optimistic and utopian science fiction I also like gothic stories and I lov...

I've been bingeing on some short stories so I'm posting a few of my Springy Short Story reviews (stories that keep springing to mind) to remember the details of the ones I know will pleasantly haunt me. I'll also post a review of a few great collections I've read recently (in the running for my personal Book of the Year).  "Marcel Proust, Incorporated" by Scott Dalrymple   Why it springs to mind: A unique dystopian idea which makes use of one of life's most terrifying realities — student loans! Where read: Lightspeed Magazine , June 2017 Summary: A tale of corporate intrigue in which people are losing parts of their memories. Memorable: Great neuroscience sci-fi with a literary reference: Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time . Quote:  "Few people paid attention because it was laughably absurd to think such a clause would ever be enforceable."  Personal connection: As someone who has had student loans, worked in higher education a...

I've been bingeing on some short stories so I'm posting a few of my Springy Short Story reviews (stories that keep springing to mind) to remember the details of the ones I know will pleasantly haunt me. I'll also post a review of a few great collections I've read recently (in the running for my personal Book of the Year). My Daughter's Name is Sarah by Peter S. Beagle   Why it springs to mind: A touching father/daughter story. Where read : Lila The Werewolf and Other Tales (2015) Summary: Originally published in 1958, a father prepares to send his beloved daughter to her first school dance and fears the cruel world. Quote:  "When I see her it is a little hard to breathe for a moment, and I will want to go down and meet her and walk the rest of the way with her." My favorite quote of the Lila the Werewolf collection comes from the story, "Underbridge": "Many things that shrink from sunlight gain power in fog and murk." Pers...

I've been bingeing on some short stories so I'm posting a few of my Springy Short Story reviews (stories that keep springing to mind) to remember the details of the ones I know will pleasantly haunt me. I'll also post a review of a few great collections I've read recently (in the running for my personal Book of the Year).  "It" by Theodore Sturgeon Why it springs to mind: The origin story for swamp creatures! Where read:   The Complete Stories: Volume I: The Ultimate Egoist  Summary: A creature made of mud, plants, debris and the skeleton of Roger Kirk kills out of curiosity as it investigates its world. Memorable: A unique and curious monster. Notable: Written in 1940, some characterizations feel particularly dated — violent men, passive women and puzzling relationships and reactions to events. Read this, for writers: A short story told in shifting points of view: the monster, a dog, a man, a young girl. Quote: "It crawled out of its mound in...

I've been bingeing on some short stories so I'm posting a few of my Springy Short Story reviews (stories that keep springing to mind) to remember the details of the ones I know will pleasantly haunt me. I'll also post a review of a few great collections I've read recently (in the running for my personal Book of the Year).  "A Touch of Heart" by Alvaro Zinos-Amaro and Adam-Troy Castro Why it springs to mind: A beautiful, uplifting example of optimistic SF! Where read: Lightspeed Magazine , July 2017 Summary: A poor farmer exacts revenge on his prosperous neighbor with the aid of a highly-skilled assassin. Memorable: the " grace note " ending scene; the epic nature of this short story; a co-authored story and how the writers worked in tandem ; the uniquely-trained assassin: “As per the dictates of my order, I expended the minimum amount of effort necessary."  Quote: "Dou burned inside at the unfairness of it all; he saw the uni...

Taste: animal cracker; turmeric, ginger, cloves, cinnamon Sight: a llama's long neck Sound: happy pigs Smell:  vegetable compost; tandoori Touch: lifting a newborn pig into your arms; thick nourishing texture; petting a pig belly; smooth, soft, coarse and bristly Extra: disgust - eating cake or a worm from the ground; depriving an animal of its mother Grateful for: friends sharing adventures LemonadeWinds and Heather SOBO on the Appalachian Trail ; the library; vegan magazines, vegan cookbooks; remembering dreams and dream poetry

Taste: black current, blackberry, tomato, molasses and spice Sight: deep purple; delicate fleshy, fine-haired blossom; Puget Sound Sound: succulent Smell: jasmine tea Touch:  sun, sea breeze and 70 degrees Extra: saintpaulia; a money, a cat, a rat and a hamster running lose in a park; "The tragedy of nations is perhaps this: that even the best rulers use up a piece of their people's future." - Rilke, Early Journals, A Year With Rilke Grateful for:  parks - Fort Ebey State Park, Discovery Park; the nearness of lakes and ocean; vision; walking