Monday, February 06, 2006

The Book of Imaginary Beings

I recently re-found this book in a box in my studio, it's by Borges, it's a series of descriptions of fantastical hybrids and creaturely inventions from the imagination. It is amazing. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants their minds stretched and tickled while trying to envision these beasts. All of my dearest ether companions are sure to appreciate it.

USB, if you are reading this, it has Uncle Stinky's name written in the front. I think I must have gotten this book from the basement of US's mother, in other words, Bubbles, the Orange Jew.

Here is a quote from the section on Harpies:

"Harpies are winged divinities who wear long loose hair and are swifter than the birds and the winds...they are vultures with a woman's face, sharp, curved claws and filthy underparts, and are weak with a hunger they cannot appease. They swoop down from the mountains and plunder tables laid for feasts. They are invulnerable and emit an infectious smell; they gorge on all they see, screeching the whole while and fouling everything with excrement."

Right on, Harpies, keep at it you smelly foulers!!!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear MM
Have informed Unca Stinky of your find... love the term for his mother.

Harpies... lovely friendly, types. Don't particularly think of them as mythical -Meet them everywhere..don't you recognize their character .. hard to disguise...
Have a few prime examples to tell ya stories about sometime..

sloth said...

MM, I think I might be a Harpy.

Anonymous said...

borges rules. i am glad you found this book. did you sleep with it?

Anonymous said...

I am definitely a Harpie. I slept next to it, hoping its entirety would osmose into my pea-brain. I have woken up late today. Must finish thinking about what to do for drawing class next week. I am not quite right about the face and neck yet. Not to mention the brain....the slowness.

Anonymous said...

I am feeling harpy-like myself. I want to foul things.

Anonymous said...

Me too, it is in the air, let down your hair and fly to the feasting tables. Screech until the ears of your victims bleed onto their meats and tear through everything with sharp teeth.

Anonymous said...

Ok so today we are going to learn about doodling in class. We are going to look at last week's homework assignment, I will try my best to make them talk, then we look at images of doodles, historical and contemporary (that is if the audio visual dept. will fulfill my request for an LCD projector even though I called 3 hours too late. They may not. They are very fastidious. They like to punish. So. If no LCD projector then I was thinking I could post the images to the student blog I made last semester and force them to look as homework - as well as make drawings.

Ok, I am always a touch of the manic on Tuesdays. I set the alarm early, then get up to turn it off and sleep another hour so I can have the maximum amount of stress. YEAH!!!! HARPIE!!!!!

fairy butler said...

let us form a harpie coven. i ate twice-baked zombie stew (with kidney beans) last night for a reason.

sloth said...

That's right FB, you have to bake that stuff twice, or the zombie chunks will keep coming back to life, & trying to escape out of yr bowl...

feeling kind of zombie-ish meself this a.m.

fairy butler said...

i feel part zombie, part hating, part sad, part irritable. wanna hang out? second cup of coffee has been procured.

i'm having one of those 'what's the point of it all' days. gah.

sloth said...

Me too!! Why is that? Sun is shining, birds are singing, & its February! Wooooo!

sloth said...

We totally should hang out, FB. Yer beige is near my hidey-hole.

sloth said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
fairy butler said...

i am ready to join the ranks of the mole people.

The Capt'n said...

MM, I hope your stress eases and your dry socket heals up fast. Try arnica. (You know--homeopathic little white dot pills in the blue plastic tube. Also you can double up and apply topical to the side of your face & neck.)
Unsolicited advice aside, thanks for the tip on the Borges book! Didn't know of it but want it.
best regards...

sloth said...

mm, I hope the kiddies are good to you today, that they draw brilliant scribbles & bring you many delicious apples.

Mountain Man said...

Thanks for the kind wishes. Turns out I have to go back to the dentist tomorrow. OOffff.

Hey FB, in relation to your post on CS Lewis retard review, there is a section in the Borges that quotes an imaginary creature Lewis describes. It's absolutely beautiful and evocative. I will post it later. This book is kick ass, everyone should have it.

Anonymous said...

please scan and send it to me.