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| Hindpsych: Erstwhile Conjectures by the Sometime Augur of Yore |
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Our Tarot of Portmeirion project continues to inspire, with a new discovery of " Th'ə ˈHī-(ə-)rə-ˌfant" joining " The Tower." Kudos to our friend at Anima Tarot, who brings insight and intrigue to the Tarot archetypes at play in her vicinity. And what a cracking Hierophant she has found in a statue of Noah Webster! --- Tamara writes: Many thanks for your kind words regarding my project! While my community is certainly no Portmeirion, I'm enjoying tuning into the Tarot archetypes in my midst.
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"He chose a dry, open space among the bushes, turned his back to the sun, spread his wings and fanned them slowly up and down."
—The Literary Digest, v.102 (1929)
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| Puzzles and Games :: Tic Tac Toe Story Generator |
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From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.
Wm Shkspre, R&J, prologue
This is a little complicated, so bear with me. There's a reward at the end, I hope.Craig Conley created a terrific dictionary of one-letter words, including as many definitions as he could find for each letter. Then, through a series of ineffable events, he developed The X-O-Skeleton Story Generator. You play a game of Tic Tac Toe, alternating between Xs and Os, until the game is won (or drawn). Each X and O is connected to one of a few dozen possible meanings for that letter, drawn from Craig's dictionary. X might refer to magnifying, like a 4x camera zoom lens, or it might refer to the mark one makes instead of signing one's name, or the mark that tells you where to sign it. By the end of the game you'll have a string of up to nine different concepts, alternating between Xs and Os like the kisses and hugs at the end of a letter.I decided to give this method a try. But I don't write stories, and I enjoy making my constraints as tricksy as possible, so I decided to write a limerick. One that gives a basic account of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, much as he himself does in the prologue quoted above. Also, like the play, the Tic Tac Toe game had to end with neither side winning, which meant packing nine different concepts into the five lines. Also I tried to work in as much internal rhyme as I could, because if you're going to rhyme, you might as well rhyme all the way.Anyway, you can read "An X-O-gesis of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" at Craig's blog.I strongly encourage others to give the X-O-Skeleton Story Generator a try; I don't think the possibilities are nearly exhausted yet.
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In the following line, we misread "posts" as "poets": The piazza was supported by posts, one of which had been removed about a year before the accident, to improve the billiard room.
So we were left imagining the billiard players marveling at the improved atmosphere now that Percy wasn't rhapsodizing over people's balls. "High as thy balls instruct my Muse to soar," he was wont to say, invoking "The God that in a mood of tender humor limned thy balls of black and red." |
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I dreamed the ampersand asked me to write a character reference: To whom it may concern,
I confirm that I have known & for a # of years. Indeed, & officiated at my wedding to my better half. Having earned varsity letters in wrestling and macramé, & will be a valuable asset if drafted or otherwise conscripted into small business. Proficient in Latin and sign language, &’s communication style is to the point. A natural mediator and expert on mergers, & is an all-around exceptional character.
Sincerely,
;
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At thee the ruby lights its deepening flow, / And with a saving radiance inward flames. / From thee the sapphire, solid ether, takes / Its hue cerulean; and, of evening tinct, / The purple- streaming amethyst is thine. / With thy own smile the yellow topaz burns; / Nor deeper verdure dyes the robe of Spring, / When first she gives it to the southern gale, / Than the green emerald shows. But, all combined, / Thick through the whitening opal play thy beams; / Or, flying from its surface, form / A trembling variance of revolving hues / As the site varies in the gazer’s hand.
—James Thomson, "Summer," quoted by Marjorie Hope Nicolson in Newton Demands the Muse, 1946.
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"Hear without terror that in the forest are hidden a deer and a unicorn" — The Book of Lamspring, 1607, showcased at BibliOdyssey |
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My street, under the greenish gas at this hour, is a morass of toffee- like, creamy mud — coffee- coloured, maroon and caramel yellow — a sort of crumbling, slushy trifle in which the floating bits of meringue are lumps of concrete.
—Collette, The Vagabond; translated by Enid McLeod, 1955.
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| I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
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We only just discovered this interesting review our eccentric guide to Portmeirion, Wales. We've bolded our favorite bits: Prisoner fans are frequently accused of "reading too much into" the little details and nuances of our favourite series. Here at last is a book that does the same for the programme's location. By turns weird, wonderful, and then even weirder, Puzzling Portmeirion is a strange, but oddly satisfying, companion to the more esoteric aspects of the village (few, if any, of which can have been Clough's original intention). The analysis of the spatial trickery and trompe l'oeil effects is quite well addressed, "treasure hunts" based on various details are included, and the whole book has a rather childlike innocence – reading it reminded me rather of how I felt (or at least what I can remember feeling) when I first saw Portmeirion at the age of nine. The book also wanders off down some very odd mythical and mystical paths which I found less convincing (do fairies really live on toasted cheese in the Portmeirion woodlands? Craig Conley seems pretty sure they do), but one can view Puzzling Portmeirion as an off the wall, artistic response to an off the wall, artistic place, with something, at least, of interest for almost any reader. Potential purchasers with more esoteric interests than mine will also be interested, and very probably charmed, by the two sets of tarot cards using Portmeirion landmarks and details, which are also available from the same source. —Gareth Hughes, The Unmutual Reviews |
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If you ask me, there's something just plain wrong about a red sky, and it doesn't really matter what time it is, either. Sailors may delight in a red sky at night, but I don't even have a boat. Red is the color of blood, and I hate seeing it outside my body, or yours. Roses are red, especially after I bleed all over them because the thorns stabbed me when I wasn't looking.
My eyes are red every day after my shower because I always get soap in them. It hurts. Fire trucks are red, and so is communism. When I hear sirens I think about air raids, or someone's house burning down. When I have a cold, my nose gets red from all the blowing and wiping. I don't feel good when I eat red meat, and red wine gives me a headache. Diaper rash is red.
I hate red.
—Jeff, "Why I Hate Red," Omegaword, 2008
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I dreamed a story from beginning to end.
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We're pleased to debut a new interactive version of our unusual dictionary of chessman meanings. Roll your mouse over the chessboard for some surprising discoveries. |
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