Oct. 8 | The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen

"Everywhere dangers and difficulties are exaggerated"
Ice rages on Venus causing strokes and heart attacks

Snow leopard taste: the last ration of chocolate

At home: ice water
Snow leopard sight: uncared for, and covered with grime
At home: worm-eaten leaves, speckles of pale green pollen turning black with age
Snow leopard sound: heinous din of the dogfights under the window; eerie clear song of a Tibetan boy
At home: shaking leaves; "Lament," Rufus Cappadocia; "Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before," The Smiths
Snow leopard touch: dungeon atmosphere, these cold quarters, merciless rain
At home: sawing the tree trunk, stuck with a thorn
Snow leopard word of the day: purgatory
Snow leopard quote of the day: "one must go oneself to know the truth"

Snow leopard notable: Shey Gompa Crystal Monastery
Snow leopard extra: a visit to a dark cagelike shelter, a caged boy and little fox--Alex
At home: "All Summer in a Day," "The Long Rain," Ray Bradbury; fury, rage, evil thought — the blessing of steak and eggs for the neighbor, for Congress an enormous bacon-covered maple bar - if only the animals could survive it
Snow leopard gratitude: patience and resilience; writing haiku
At home: hot bath, early to bed

Panthera progress: ebb and flow, headers

What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project.

Comments

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...

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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.

Shel Graves' Sensorium

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