|
contours provocations
journal - 2004-0222 - 2000 Tribbles and Serendipity; Sushi-bar humor; Priapus; Books Sold; "Weird Science" Last week, I was rambling through the sci-fi listings at Amazon.com. Actually I was wondering about sci-fi stories with gay characters or some type of gay bent. In the midst of my looking, I came across a comment about David Gerrold's "The War Against the Chtorr." Characters with a same-sex curiosity. I'd read the book a couple of times, but I didn't really remember that aspect. So, I decided I'd give it another go. Without too much trouble, I was able to find it in the pile by the bookcases. It is a book club edition, still with the dust jacket, that I'd picked up at an AAUW book sale several years ago. (As I recall I went the last day of the sale, and they were desperately trying to get rid of the merchandise. For $1, you could fill a grocery bag with books. For some reason, there was a large collection of sci-fi books with dust jackets that no one had bought. So I was able to leave with around 40 books for a $1. Talk about bargins!) I flipped open the book and glanced at the "About the Author" page. It said he started his career in 1967 as a writer for "Star Trek." It went on to say he had written "The Trouble with Tribbles." I had to stop a moment and re-read that! "The Trouble with Tribbles" is considered by many to be the best story of the "Star Trek" saga. And among the top stories in the sci-fi genre. Obviously, I'd never read the "About the Author" page. So to me this was an amazing discovery. (Have Tribbles ever popped up in another context?) These little slices of existence. in which one tiny event leads to another that links to another, are fascinating. There's a splendid sense of serendipity. This afternoon on the way back from the giant WalMart, I spotted about a dozen sea gulls sailing along. Whitecaped wings conjuring flight from ruffled curls of air. Always a good omen. In an effort to find a different way to visit WalMart, I discovered a beaten, patched road that runs along the railroad tracks. Full of bumps and dips and crumbling asphalt with no traffic. Old houses; an odd futuristic one with what seems like dozens of windows; a restaurant; small factories; garages; fields. At lunch today, the sushi chef asked if I was having katsu dom; I said "Yes." And he replied, "Ah, I can smell it cooking." Another example of sushi-bar humor. I'm convinced sushi chefs are sent to a special school to learn these comments. The city is playing host to an exhibit of art works from Dresden. And some concern has been expressed about the partial nudity in some of the paintings. (This is an area in which the stork delivers all infants. Or you can go out in the morning and find babes in the gabbage patch.) I made a comment that the Dresden expressions of sexuality was nothing in comparison of those of Pompeii. Immediately images of Priapus and his oversized phallus came to mind. An image of Priapus weighing his phallus on a scale stuck would not go away. I know it's in one of my books, but I can't figure out which one. On to the web I went. Well, I never did find the one in question. But I did find some remarkable photos of artifacts that indicated how commonplace phallic images were. In fact, phallic symbols were used to ward off the evil eye. Visit Erotic Art in Pompeii. Note the wind chimes which are highly erotic and whimsical. Before I forget. I sold two more books at Amazon this week. Always a welcome event. This evening, I was bouncing from channel to chanel. And there was "Weird Science" on MoviePLEX. One of my all time favorite programs. PAX! journal | archives | home | e-mail |
"They seemed to have large round faces and short blunt muzzles. The pink frosting that covered everything made it hard to tell. ... They looked like little Chinese bunnies in a cotton candy factory. Bunny ears. Puppy faces. Not my idea of aliens from space."
("The War Against the Chtorr: Invasion"; 1983 / 1984; p. 442 David Gerrold)
|