Read to your plants!
and Hack the Planet
It’s been a while since I’ve written… much of anything really. It’s been HOT HOT HOT here in Maryland, and, frankly, I’ve just wanted to do… nothing. Luckily, I have an amazing group (Shout out Aditi and Danielle!) who’ve helped give me the incentive to create again. I’ve been working on several dark and depressing pieces I can’t wait to share with the world one day!
I recently read A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ni Ghriofa and found it mesmerizing. Lyrical prose, a compelling juxtaposition of subjects and a touch of the speculative. I highly recommend this book, though it’s not really a light beach read. The last third of it is somewhat hard to get through - a lot of family tree stuff that I ended up skimming through.
I’m currently reading Green Frog by Gina Chung. So far her magical realism stories in the collection are incredible. Rabbit Heart was stunning, heart breaking. You can read it here at Waxwing where it was originally published.
I’ve been thinking a lot about plants as being more like animals than static objects. Check out this article in reference to Monica Gagliano’s research.
Of the possible plant talents that have gone under-recognized, memory is one of the most intriguing. Some plants live their whole lives in one season, while others grow for hundreds of years. Either way, it has not been obvious to us that any of them hold on to past events in ways that change how they react to new challenges. But biologists have shown that certain plants in certain situations can store information about their experiences and use that information to guide how they grow, develop, or behave. Functionally, at least, they appear to be creating memories. How, when, and why they form these memories might help scientists train plants to face the challenges—poor soil, drought, extreme heat—that are happening with increasing frequency and intensity. But first they have to understand: What does a plant remember? What is better to forget?
In other news, I’ve come full circle and am now accepting how much I love the 1995 movie Hackers. I earnestly loved it when I was in high school and now I appreciate it for how cringe cheesy it is. Truly an iconic piece of 90s pop culture. Also, hot take - is it possibly Angelina at her finest?! Hack the Planet!
Stay cool. Be safe. Free Palestine.