Skip to main content

Oct. 11 | The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen

In the mountains of Umbria, objects too intimate to speak of
Walking two small dogs by the Salish Sea, dreaming of Machu Picchu


Snow leopard taste: tsampa
At home:
plain soy yogurt
Snow leopard sight:
seven elegant thin black fishes; lithe wild olives that dance in the silver breeze of afternoon
At home: an exhibition of Peruvian art and artifacts; the little boy in glasses wears a sun yellow shirt his mom carries a matching bag
Snow leopard sound:
humming softly in the smoke; "Swit-zerland!"
At home:
Yip!
Snow leopard touch:
sore feet, a sore knee, a sore back
At home:
cuddling the cat, dog on lap
Snow leopard smell:
fox droppings
Snow leopard word of the day:
kukri-Gorkha hatchet knife
Snow leopard quotes of the day:
"In Alaska, at forty below, no sign of life—and there's the raven!"; "I found her goodness maddening, and behaved badly.; "She has no mud on her soul."
Snow leopard notable:
"...in a single glide the great vulture could go where we have gone in ten hard hours."
Snow leopard extra:
a vague longing, a sad emptiness; an above-life quality; an imperious inner command
At home:
feeling clever; sympatico - "...I am elated to be home with nothing scheduled but reading, writing, walking—even enough time to make soup and bake bread." — Holly Hughes, The Pen and the Bell
Snow leopard gratitude:
new hope for the future; enduring love
At home:
walking the dogs at lunchtime

Panthera progress:
Onward!

What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts on "Depression Hates a Moving Target": What I Mean by Relatable

Relatable — I used this word in my reviews of Depression Hates a Moving Target   by Nita Sweeney on Goodreads and Amazon . It's a nice word, but overused of late. So, it feels lazy. What do I mean? I connected with this book. It made me reflect more on my own first marathon experience. It made me want to put on my running shoes and head out the door again. In fact, I did. Now, typically, my mental health doesn't hinder my ability to do the stuff I want to do and my body flies under the radar. Still, I also felt goofy stepping out in my running gear a lot of the time. I didn't see myself as a "runner" or an athlete. And, I had no idea if I could run 13 miles let alone 26.2 when I started. More to the point, could I stay moving for the 4+ hours straight it would take to complete the marathon? To do the training mileage, I knew I'd have to run through streets and trails on my own and that made me nervous, too. Waves of grief wash us to strange shores. Whe...

Springy Story Review: "Gestella" by Susan Palwick

Why it springs to mind: A hauntingly beautiful horror story about what happens when a woman relinquishes her power. A unique werewolf story with commentary on aging. Where read: First in Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology  ( 2015, PM Press edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer) and then in Palwick's collection The Fate of Mice ( 2007, Tachyon Publications ) — both outstanding! These presses won't steer you wrong. Summary: A young woman werewolf allows herself to be dominated by a lover who takes control of her fate. Memorable: The powerful ending! The word: sportfuck. A new take on lycanthropy. Written in second person — you. Quote:  "You know that your growing wisdom is the benefit of aging, the compensation for your wrinkles and your fading—although fading slowly as yet—beauty. You also know that Jonathan didn't marry you for wisdom."  Personal connection: Some of my favorite stories seem to be the ones that address t...

Springy story review: "State Change" by Ken Liu

Why it springs to mind:  You'll never look at an ice cube the same way again. Where read: In the 2014 Hugo award-winning Lightspeed Magazine , August. Length: 5,194 words Summary: A woman has an ice cube for a soul. Memorable: How the story invites us to think about the shape of our soul, how it (or our perception of it) influences us and how it changes. What ordinary every day object would your soul be? A silver spoon, a beech stick? A great party conversation starter, this. Quote:  “All life is an experiment." Notable:  The protagonist Rina is an avid reader (always a good choice). Pairs well with: T.S. Elliot, Edna St. Vincent Millay Origin:  The story was written in 24 hours based on a writing prompt. (See Author Spotlight: Ken Liu ) About the author: Ken Liu’s debut novel, The Grace of Kings , the first in a fantasy series The Dandelion Dynasty, is due out from Saga Press ( a new Simon & Schuster imprint ) in 2015.