fanciful devices: Two for the road.

A Stone Is Nobody's

A man ambushed a stone. Caught it.
Made it a prisoner.
Put it in a dark room and stood guard over it for the rest of his life.

His mother asked why.

He said, because it's held captive, because it is captured.

Look, the stone is asleep, she said, it does not know whether it's in a garden or not. Eternity and the stone
are mother and daughter; it is you who are getting old. The stone is only sleeping.

But I caught it, mother, it is mine by conquest, he said.

A stone is nobody's, not even its own. It is you who are conquered; you are minding the prisoner, which is yourself,
because you are afraid to go out, she said.

Yes yes, I am afraid, because you have never loved me, he said.

Which is true, because you have always been to me as the stone is to you, she said.

Russell Edson

FAQs

1. Are you a Southeast Asian dancing girl from the 1800s?

No, sorry to disappoint. My avatar and banner images are from an ancient book I found in the depths of my grandmother's cabinets. More on that here.

2. How do you make everything look so old?

First, you need a good oxidizer to brush on every bit of metal you can reach. I'll tell you all about it here.

Then there's this wax. I first mentioned it here. You'll have to scroll down a lot.

3. How can you be so productive?

I'm insanely obsessed and I have no offspring. I do nothing else- I don't have a day job, I don't clean my house or cook, I spend all day in pjs, often completely abandoning personal hygiene... I only interact with other humans when I walk my dog. And I like people! But I prefer dogs.

And I'm sloppy- but I make that sloppiness work for me.

4. Any tips you'd like to share?

No! Except for these 16 posts about techniques and this one about how to find your aesthetic.

5. Would you be offended if I took some inspiration from your designs?

Well, I'd be happier if you outright copied them.

No really, imitation is how we learn. I have enough ideas to go around. And even if I don't- please. No one's going to do this obsessively enough to threaten my business. (Probably.) I learned by copying others and I've seen others copy me as a step toward developing their own voice. So feel free. (I'd love if you tossed me a link in my comments, so I can feel like a proud momma.)

6. What do you look like?

Why, what have you heard? Really? Wow.

What, you say, two more? Weren't you supposed to lay off lefty? Clearly I have issues.

The Cats Eye Nebula.

The Phage.

So my dad invited me and husband out to sushi to celebrate my upcoming surgery (tomorrow! eeeeee!!!). I hadn't had sushi since my right hand operation. Now, I've always taken ridiculous pride in my chopstickage, but yesterday.... It was like my hand couldn't obey instructions! I was actually embarrassed that folks would think I was a po-dunk who didn't know how to use the sticks instead of the worldly chick I think myself to be. I couldnt get the sticks to come together- it's like my muscle memory was lost. And it even hurt. So frustrating! Deliciously, scrumptiously frustrating!
CorvidDelights wrote: "No worries I am sure that you'll resume your ninja chopstick skills after your second surgery." To which I had to answer: "Unless lefty starts inexplicably slapping my face each time I go to take a mouthful, my 2nd operation will have no effect on my eating."
Really hope that doesn't happen.

8 comments:

Regina said...: Have a good day at surgery folowed by a speedy recovery!; 6/12/11, 7:34 PM
stregata said...: "Unless lefty starts inexplicably slapping my face each time..." - well, that would probably be a real nuisance, but interesting to watch.
Speedy recovery!; 6/12/11, 11:23 PM
Anonymous said...: Best wishes, and I hope you will regain normal use of your left hand again real soon!; 6/13/11, 12:04 AM
Jennifer Valentine Morford said...: uuummmmm.....the eyeball is a bit unnerving for me, but I'm certain it will sell immediately! I'm loving your use of bones tho....and of course I am wondering where in the world you found an eyeball.....?; 6/13/11, 12:15 AM
fanciful devices said...: where do you think? uruguay, of course! on a table full of all sorts of strange odds and ends, on the street.; 6/13/11, 2:05 AM
Flotsam Tide said...: My daughter says she will send you some hollow sugar snap pea pods to use as interim chopsticks... they are much easier. And anyone who posts excerpts of "Les Fleurs du Mal" and "Borges and Mathematics" qualifies as a wordly chick to me, (even if their chopstick skills are temporarily on hiatus). xo!; 6/13/11, 5:54 AM
Spirited Earth said...: Hey are you lookin' at me..Ha,sorry that's what popped into my head upon seeing that eyeball necklace.
fingers crossed you will soon be back to your worldly girl skills with chopsticks.; 6/14/11, 9:48 AM
~Debi said...: The eyeball is so cool!; 6/16/11, 1:17 PM