prodigal son

Okay, so, stirctly speaking, the post title isn't accurate since I still have yet to return to the flock (our seminar) with any measurable evidence of growth, spiritual or literary. But here are some thoughts.

Back in September, before my date was up, I was hard at work on a short story about a manzanita. The inspiration came from an article I'd read on Muir "The Botanist" in Smithsonian. In it Muir gives a brief description of the process by which he would learn about a new plant. Evidently when he encountered an unfamiliar species John would sit silently with the thing for up to a day, just listening, until it stated to talk to him. The implication being that all plants have a story, an evolutionary autobiography of sorts.

Well, you guys know all about me and my checkered relationship with science. So it should come as no surprise that when I finally sat myself down to try out Muir's idiosyncratic scientific method, the resulting story had little to do with natural history. It was raining that day, the first rain of the season, and while the mosses and grasses in my live oak woodland celebrated with vibrant green fireworks, the crimson bark of a manzanita in the courtyard took on the appearence of raw, bleeding flesh. I sat with that tree all day, and it did start talking to me, but the story was a strange one that after 2 months still has yet to run its course.

So, this may seem a bit ad-hoc to you guys in light of how late my essay now is, but, I think I agree with Sydra's recent post about making due dates optional. As excited as I am to share writing with Y'all, it just isn't ready yet. Also, I'm in SE Asia for the winter, so if I do finish something in the coming weeks it probably won't be that essay about the Manzanita.

Okay, Vietnam calls. Cheers,

Nate

Well, it seems we're slackers through and through. Not a big deal really, but are we dropping the ball on our fantastic seminar already?
I guess I began the procrastination...sorry...and still haven't mailed Jenny's piece to her, so I probably shouldn't be writing this at all. But I am because well, why not?
All I'm trying to say is that maybe we don't have to "go in order" since it's not working super well. (Nathan where's your piece?) Perhaps some of the others in the group that haven't submitted anything could just email or snail-mail some of their writing from the last few months. I bet most of us have been doing some writing, especially with the anticipation of this seminar.
So without further ado....I miss your writing everyone! Let's bask in each others' insights.
(Goodness that was awful.)