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One-letter word mania continues to spread around the globe. Diedrik van der Wal's dictionary of Dutch one-letter words is now in print. See sample pages at his website.
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Cold- hearted orb that rules the night / Removes the colors from our sight / Red is gray and yellow white / And we decide which is right / And which is an illusion?
—Justin Hayward & Graeme Edge (The Moody Blues), "Nights in White Satin," 1967.
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A whimsical bit of misinformation from DR. BOLI’S ANIMAL ALPHABET: U is for the Unicorn,
Who lived in mythic fantasies of old.
This beast was born
With just a single horn,
A total count of one, all told.
Alas, the Unicorn’s no more:
To moderns, who learn science in the crib,
The myths of yore
Are nothing but a bore;
The Unicorn is just a fib.
Also don't miss Dr. Boli's explanation of a unicorn's chief source of income. |
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| I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
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  by same sameThe Controversy of Naked Colors"It was color as such, naked color, unabashedly itself, and assertively dominant."—Elizabeth Frank, Esteban Vicente
So-called "naked colors" expose a stark naturalness that many viewers would consider titillating or indiscreet. Naked colors invite the viewer to peek into an intimate range of wavelengths that yield a profoundly sensual impression and uncover a hidden truth. Naked colors embody what the French phenomenological philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty calls "interpenetration," wherein the fine line between a public arena and a private one starts "gaping open" (qtd. in Henry James and the Philosophical Novel, by Merle A. Williams, 1993). In other words, Merleau-Ponty is suggesting that a naked color on a visible surface can serve to lead the imagination toward something typically not visible. Naked colors appear in the art world and the natural world. The red and gold Santa Rita mountains and the violet Catalina mountains of Arizona display a "wild bright beauty" of "naked color" (Glenn Hughes, Broken Lights: A Book of Verse, 1920). In the springtime in London's city parks, flower bulbs "break against the renewing grass in naked colour" (David Piper, The Companion Guide to London, 1983). In the Dutch painter Pieter Mondrian's later work, he focused his attention to "'naked' color dynamics: patches of pure red, yellow and blue held in place by a grid of black lines (Jon Thompson, How to Read a Modern Painting, 2006). In the world of fashion, "naked color turns into decorationism" (Marc Chagall, Marc Chagall on Art and Culture, 2003). However, quantum physicists tell us that "naked colour is never to be seen" in quarks (Nigel Calder, Magic Universe: The Oxford Guide to Modern Science, 2003). [Read the entire article in my guest blog at ColourLovers.com.]
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"To speak in book means to read the world as if it were the continuation of a never-ending text." —Enrique Vila-Matas, Montano's Malady |
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 Vampire by Edvard MunchVampiric Colors"Color?" said the vampire. "Is that all? Color iss eazy-peazy. How soon do you vant it?"
—Terry Pratchett, The Truth, 2001 Black silk, white incisors, blood-red lips, pallid complexions, deep purple velvet. Truly, "the horror of vampirism is expressed in color" (Diane Negra, The Irish in Us, 2006). The timeless lore of vampires has left a colorful and enduring mark on world culture. If you think most vampires sport Transylvanian accents and Carpathian fashions, think again. Chinese vampires (Geung-Si), for example, have a rich history of their own. Their limbs stiffened by rigor mortis, Chinese vampires move by hopping, their arms outstretched like zombies to seize their prey. They have long fangs and even longer fingernails, which they use to stab their victims and suck out the life energy. They wear traditional Manchu robes of black silk and round black hats from the Qing dynasty. What turns a corpse into a Chinese vampire? A lingering lust for revenge, an improper burial, a violent death, or a mischievous spirit. Chinese vampires can be stopped only by Taoist priests armed with magic talismans. The priest paints red calligraphy onto a yellow strip of parchment and slaps the talisman onto the vampire's ghastly white forehead, rendering him immobile. Makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin has a tip for making very dark vampire colors less extreme and severe. He recommends surrounding the vampire color with taupe or brownish-gray (Jessica Pallingston, Lipstick, 1999). Because vampires are allergic to sunlight, vampiric colors often evoke the shades of midnight:  
 
 
 
by LOKAOTICO
As vampires are sustained by blood, it comes as no surprise that there are a great many sanguinary colors:  
 
 
 
 
by Wellstone
It takes a pointed tooth to draw blood:  
 
Immortality carries with it the dust of the ages:  
 
by Jim Frazier
No bedroom of the living dead would be complete without a coffin:  
 
 
 
Some vampires sport unnatural complexions:  
 
 
 
The classic vampire mane is black:  
Vampiric wardrobes reflect the height of gothic fashion:  
 
 
Has there ever been a vampire with garlic breath?  
by msmall
The easiest way to break a vampire's heart is with a wooden stake:  
A talisman can also do the trick:  
 
[Read the entire article in my guest blog at ColourLovers.com.]
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Library Journal reviewed our Magic Words: A Dictionary in the Oct. 15 issue: Despite its undeniable appeal to New Age audiences, Conley's (One-Letter Words) book of more than 700 words and phrases is just as relevant to the linguist and language enthusiast as it is to Occult followers. A vividly written introduction includes contemplations on ritual and pronunciation, and each multi-paragraph entry explains meanings, origins, and literary references. Like an academic work, the text is liberally footnoted, citing pop culture, literary, or Internet uses of the word or phrase—although it occasionally omits significant references. Recommended for pop culture, New Age, and language libraries.
Meanwhile, don't miss our interview at The Tarot Channel, about Magic Words: A Dictionary. Also, our Carte Blanche Atlas of blank maps was praised for its "useful insights" over at Year Two Blog. --- Jeff writes: I believe congratulations are in order! So many positive reviews . . . but then, that's as it should be.
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"Writing is a way of speaking without being interrupted." —Jules Renard
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Saint Limon
Patron of Lemonade.
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Dawn, and the little flocks of silver- enameled tanks on every hill and the fifty- five thousand barrel tanks in the valley made you think of diamonds in a dime- store brooch — so much wealth in such an outlandish place.
The purple ribbons of oil splashed down every hill and turned brown and gold in the sun. Up the valley the lights on the drilling rig winked out.
Jim Thompson, Character at Iraan, 1930; Fireworks: The Lost Writings of Jim Thompson, 1988.
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Original Content Copyright © 2026 by Craig Conley. All rights reserved.
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