Link is up - Amal's DVD comments for today make this story a full degree more creepy.
"Day 18 - Manuka Honey
Colour: Mulled cider - but more specifically the dark froth that gathers at the top. This one is also cloudy, with darker splotches in some parts.
Smell: Medicinal. Eucalyptus? A bit like lemon candy, too.
Taste: It tastes like medicine, like cough syrup. I asked my sister to try it for a second opinion, because it tasted like something very specific from our childhood, but while she said medicine, she couldn't narrow it down any further. Cough syrup it remains - or what cough syrup should have tasted like, had it actually been taken with honey."
Today's short piece is another of my favorites from the book - the one with the ravens. Like the story with the ring, it has a strong flavour of autobiography to it - it's probably not autobiographical, entirely, in that it has a very strong element of fantasy to it, but it feels autobiographical; it's told using an autobiographical voice. I think, if I were organizing the various pieces of the collection in separate books, I'd put this one in with the ring story - the voice is similar enough that you could weave some sort of narrative between them, and have it all work nicely. I'd like to read that book, actually.
Today's honey, though, I do not think I would like it at all.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Honey Month, Day 17 (2/17/2011)
"Day 17 - Ugandan Honey
Colour: Cloudy mulled cider - mulled because the crystallised chunks in it make me thing of orange peel.
Smell: Carob molasses and hay.
Taste: A savoury flavour: black olives and smoked cheese. It's so unusual, so earthy."*
A short piece of fiction today, a story of a land where the honey is highly sustaining - an ounce will feed a family for a month - and sacrificial bees. It doesn't need anything else, but it seems to call out for more story - I don't know if that makes sense. There are some pieces in the book which seem incomplete, and so seem to demand additional narration, and there are other pieces which are so complete in themselves that there is no need for more. This is neither - it is complete, the cycle of narration is closed, and yet it feels like the beginning of something bigger - it seems a waste of some beautifully descriptive prose for it to go no further. Basically, there are several pieces in this collection that I would love to see expanded, simply to experience more of the world they describe.
*This is intriguing. There are several honeys in the collection that I would like to try, but this is the first one that I have tried to find for purchase - without success. I did find a site dedicated to Ugandan honey, but there was no way to buy it, short of going to Uganda.
Colour: Cloudy mulled cider - mulled because the crystallised chunks in it make me thing of orange peel.
Smell: Carob molasses and hay.
Taste: A savoury flavour: black olives and smoked cheese. It's so unusual, so earthy."*
A short piece of fiction today, a story of a land where the honey is highly sustaining - an ounce will feed a family for a month - and sacrificial bees. It doesn't need anything else, but it seems to call out for more story - I don't know if that makes sense. There are some pieces in the book which seem incomplete, and so seem to demand additional narration, and there are other pieces which are so complete in themselves that there is no need for more. This is neither - it is complete, the cycle of narration is closed, and yet it feels like the beginning of something bigger - it seems a waste of some beautifully descriptive prose for it to go no further. Basically, there are several pieces in this collection that I would love to see expanded, simply to experience more of the world they describe.
*This is intriguing. There are several honeys in the collection that I would like to try, but this is the first one that I have tried to find for purchase - without success. I did find a site dedicated to Ugandan honey, but there was no way to buy it, short of going to Uganda.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Honey Month, Day 16 (2/16/2011)
"Day 16 - Blueberry Honey
Colour: The exact shade and clarity of apple juice from concentrate.
Smell: Juicy-sweet, with such a faint blueberry scent I could almost swear I was imagining it. But I'm more sure it's there.
Taste: Blue and cold. Water on a bright day, so blue as to challenge those who would call the water colourless, a sky-mirror. It's a deep blue, and it's a liquid honey, the flexible kind that spindles itself into shapes when stretched. Active, passionate, deep."
A poem of all consuming passion, blank verse. I thought the metaphor was a little conventional, but Amal pushes and pulls it nicely into her own shape, resulting in a largely satisfying finished product. It's not the best piece in the book, but it's strong and good anyway.
Colour: The exact shade and clarity of apple juice from concentrate.
Smell: Juicy-sweet, with such a faint blueberry scent I could almost swear I was imagining it. But I'm more sure it's there.
Taste: Blue and cold. Water on a bright day, so blue as to challenge those who would call the water colourless, a sky-mirror. It's a deep blue, and it's a liquid honey, the flexible kind that spindles itself into shapes when stretched. Active, passionate, deep."
A poem of all consuming passion, blank verse. I thought the metaphor was a little conventional, but Amal pushes and pulls it nicely into her own shape, resulting in a largely satisfying finished product. It's not the best piece in the book, but it's strong and good anyway.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Honey Month, Day 15 (2/15/2011)
eta: linky
"Day 15 - Hungarian Forest Honey
Colour: A cloudy orange-yellow, which, in the first light I held it to, made me think of extra virgin olive oil. In the current light, more of an apple cider.
Smell: Hay, brown sugar, molasses. I held this vial in hot water for about a minute because it was too crystallized to draw enough out on the wand; prior to heating I thought it smelled a bit resinous, but I can't find a trace of that now.
Taste: Brown sugar - cookies! No aftertaste - elusive, like it makes an appearance on request, then vanishes when you aren't paying attention. Also a taste of dark raisins."
Today's story is one of my favorite in the collection; a short story about a ring lost and returned, simply packed with magic and wonder of a very quiet sort. I'd love a little bit more about the sisters here; their world is fascinating. Despite that, this story is complete in and of itself, and doesn't ask for anything more - very nice.
"Day 15 - Hungarian Forest Honey
Colour: A cloudy orange-yellow, which, in the first light I held it to, made me think of extra virgin olive oil. In the current light, more of an apple cider.
Smell: Hay, brown sugar, molasses. I held this vial in hot water for about a minute because it was too crystallized to draw enough out on the wand; prior to heating I thought it smelled a bit resinous, but I can't find a trace of that now.
Taste: Brown sugar - cookies! No aftertaste - elusive, like it makes an appearance on request, then vanishes when you aren't paying attention. Also a taste of dark raisins."
Today's story is one of my favorite in the collection; a short story about a ring lost and returned, simply packed with magic and wonder of a very quiet sort. I'd love a little bit more about the sisters here; their world is fascinating. Despite that, this story is complete in and of itself, and doesn't ask for anything more - very nice.
The Honey Month, Day 14 (posted 2/15/2011)
So, yeah, circumstances conspired against my plan to post this when I got in last night. Basically, I didn't get in until this morning, at which point I was more concerned with setting up the basinette again, and feeding the various beasts, and falling asleep myself. Anyway, here is yesterday's post.
"Day 14 - Raspberry Honey*
Colour: The dark gold of apple juice, or strong green tea.
Smell: Brown honey smells, hay and a bit of molasses.
Taste: Texture-wise: tending towards crystallising,but not there yet. Almost gelatinous on the wand, but there are bits dreaming of being sugar clumps when I put it against my tongue. It's sweet - dries your mouth out. It makes me thing of flower petals, of attar, without tasting of any particular king that I can distinguish."
A short, sweet poem today - a love song to Night and Sleep - this would have been quite apropos yesterday, because it was Valentine's Day, and because I wanted very much to be asleep, and not driving through snow and wind gusts.
*No, she didn't do Raspberry already - that was Raspberry CREAMED Honey.
"Day 14 - Raspberry Honey*
Colour: The dark gold of apple juice, or strong green tea.
Smell: Brown honey smells, hay and a bit of molasses.
Taste: Texture-wise: tending towards crystallising,but not there yet. Almost gelatinous on the wand, but there are bits dreaming of being sugar clumps when I put it against my tongue. It's sweet - dries your mouth out. It makes me thing of flower petals, of attar, without tasting of any particular king that I can distinguish."
A short, sweet poem today - a love song to Night and Sleep - this would have been quite apropos yesterday, because it was Valentine's Day, and because I wanted very much to be asleep, and not driving through snow and wind gusts.
*No, she didn't do Raspberry already - that was Raspberry CREAMED Honey.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Note re: tomorrow's Library Post
There will not be one. We're headed out of town through tomorrow evening. I will try to make a Honey Month post when I get back, but if I miss it, I'll post it on Tuesday. Have a lovely Valentine's Day if you celebrate, or Lupercalia if that's more your style, or whatever.
The Honey Month, day 13 (2/13/2011)
eta: link added
"Day 13 - Black Locust Blossom Honey
Colour: White-gold dawn.
Smell: White flowers tucked into honeycomb. A watery white flower - lotus, or lily.
Taste: Like fruit and flowers and sugar. This is one to pour onto pancakes; very liquid-sweet, and when I say fruit I mean something between green grapes and yellowgages* without the sour skin. Juicy sweet is this."
Another villanelle today, with a lovely sprightly rhythm, almost bouncy. Hints of Ulysses ad maybe Gaiman's Sandman here - for all the bounciness, a dark tale of addiction. A cautionary tale - be careful what you wish for; you might get it.
* It's a yellow plum; the little ones that you find at the farmer's market towards the end of August. When they are truly ripe, they are fantastic; but too far in either direction - not ripe or over ripe - and they're revolting.
---------------------------------------------------------------
A note on what's going on here. Two years ago, Amal El-Mohtar began a month long exploration of a variety of honeys, tasting and describing each, and then writing a short piece of fiction, or a poem, or something of that nature which was inspired by the honey of the day. Last year, these posts were collected into a short book - more formal than a simple chapbook, perhaps - called The Honey Month, which I reviewed when it came out. My biggest problem, at that time, was that I ploughed through the book too quickly, and so I resolved to do a more careful reading of it at a later date. That later date is now - the posts were originally a February project, and so there are 28 honey days. This is now February, and I cannot think of a better time to slowly read poems and stories about honey. The material in quotation marks is the description of the day's honey, from the book (so that you get a good taste of Amal's lovely writing), what follows that is a brief thought about the piece of poetry or fiction of that day from yours truly.
In addition to my daily reviews, Amal has been re-running the original posts with what she is describing as "DVD Extras," some commentary on the piece for the day, some discussion of the differences between the original post and the finished piece in the book, and some delicious LJ Honey Month icons. The first of the re-runs is here, and I have been linking the appropriate post via the daily title, above, as the post becomes available. Amal is currently in England (because she is fabulous), and so her sense of what time it is and my sense of what time it is are somewhat askew. And that's ok.
"Day 13 - Black Locust Blossom Honey
Colour: White-gold dawn.
Smell: White flowers tucked into honeycomb. A watery white flower - lotus, or lily.
Taste: Like fruit and flowers and sugar. This is one to pour onto pancakes; very liquid-sweet, and when I say fruit I mean something between green grapes and yellowgages* without the sour skin. Juicy sweet is this."
Another villanelle today, with a lovely sprightly rhythm, almost bouncy. Hints of Ulysses ad maybe Gaiman's Sandman here - for all the bounciness, a dark tale of addiction. A cautionary tale - be careful what you wish for; you might get it.
* It's a yellow plum; the little ones that you find at the farmer's market towards the end of August. When they are truly ripe, they are fantastic; but too far in either direction - not ripe or over ripe - and they're revolting.
---------------------------------------------------------------
A note on what's going on here. Two years ago, Amal El-Mohtar began a month long exploration of a variety of honeys, tasting and describing each, and then writing a short piece of fiction, or a poem, or something of that nature which was inspired by the honey of the day. Last year, these posts were collected into a short book - more formal than a simple chapbook, perhaps - called The Honey Month, which I reviewed when it came out. My biggest problem, at that time, was that I ploughed through the book too quickly, and so I resolved to do a more careful reading of it at a later date. That later date is now - the posts were originally a February project, and so there are 28 honey days. This is now February, and I cannot think of a better time to slowly read poems and stories about honey. The material in quotation marks is the description of the day's honey, from the book (so that you get a good taste of Amal's lovely writing), what follows that is a brief thought about the piece of poetry or fiction of that day from yours truly.
In addition to my daily reviews, Amal has been re-running the original posts with what she is describing as "DVD Extras," some commentary on the piece for the day, some discussion of the differences between the original post and the finished piece in the book, and some delicious LJ Honey Month icons. The first of the re-runs is here, and I have been linking the appropriate post via the daily title, above, as the post becomes available. Amal is currently in England (because she is fabulous), and so her sense of what time it is and my sense of what time it is are somewhat askew. And that's ok.
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