by SB Sarah • Tuesday, January 08, 2008 at 05:57 AM
Nikki the Super Badass Researcher contacted me yesterday upon realizing that she had a Cassie Edwards in her possession, and she had access to Google, and she had an hour to spare:
I must admit, it was worse than I feared. My “evidence” file grew to six--6!--pages in Word. The worst part? I have an unsettling feeling that these are not the only questionable sections--simply the only ones I could locate via Google. There’s one passage in particular about the male sage grouse’s mating ritual, of all things, that’s extremely suspect.
One last thing, which I thought was deliciously ironic. The heroine’s name in this book is Candy.
I just made a noise I cannot transcribe accurately, but it was somewhere between a choke and a snort.
Now for the Official Findings.
There were three texts heavily, shall we say, “borrowed” from:
THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA by George Amos Dorsey, published in 1904
Available at Google Books
Available in its original form at Archive.org.
CADDOAN TEXTS PAWNEE, SOUTH BAND DIALECT by Gene Weltfish, published in 1937
Available at Google Books
INDIAN BOYHOOD by Charles Alexander Eastman, published in 1902
Available at Google Books.
Available in its original form at Archive.org.
I had to get a bit tricksy when searching CADDOAN TEXTS because it’s only available for viewing snippets via Google--not full text. Luckily, the search function provided enough phrasing to recreate the relevant passages although attempting to verify the scans of the actual words wasn’t possible due to the limited view restriction. I’m confident the search function is accurate, however, and no weirdness thanks to OCR occurred in those sections.
Examples positively identified are pasted below along with their corresponding counterparts in the source material. There are several damning sections, the lengthiest one located on pages 213-214 (yes, it spans two pages) and covers nearly four paragraphs.
I’ve placed the Oddly Similar sections in bold so I hope it carries over to your email programs. Also, I’m pretty sure I caught all my typos but I may have missed one or two. If so, apologies but Y’ALL! My fingers are tired.
.
Here’s the side by side that Nikki found and emailed us. Big hat tip and curtsey to Nikki, because this is above and beyond. In many, many ways.
SAVAGE BELOVED
Published by Leisure Books, May 2006
ISBN: 0843952733
Page 84
“There is an ancient legend telling that when the plants fail to come up, the Wichita people will cease to exist.”
[...]
“When the first shoot of corn comes up, an old woman goes there to perform a rite of thanksgiving over the plant,” he said. “She rubs the plant with her hands in blessing, saying, ‘Oh, big bow,’ which means corn stalk. Then she rubs a baby with her hands in a similar fashion, passing on the blessing from the plant to the child.”
He paused, smiled at Candy, then said, “Everyone is happy at the sight of the first plant.”
CADDOAN TEXTS PAWNEE, SOUTH BAND DIALECT by Gene Weltfish
Page 39
When the first shoot comes up an old woman goes there to perform a rite of thanksgiving over the plant. She rubs the plant with her hands in blessing, saying, “Oh, big bow.” Then directly she rubs the baby with her hands in a similar manner, passing on the blessing from the plant to the child. Everyone is happy at the sight of the first plant. There is an ancient legend that states that when the plants fail to come up, we will all cease to exist.
SAVAGE BELOVED
Page 122
At one side she saw a bed with a mattress made of slender willow rods and coverings of buffalo hide.
Hanging down in front of the bed was a long curtain of buffalo hide, which she could tell could be raised or lowered at will. The half-lowered hide seemed to be painted with war scenes.
THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA by George Amos Dorsey
Page 5
The beds consist of mattresses made of slender willow rods and coverings of buffalo hide. Over the bed and hanging down in front, is a long curtain of buffalo hide, which can be raised or lowered at will; this is often painted with war scenes.
SAVAGE BELOVED
Page 172
“The tattoo on my right arm, that mark in the form of a small cross, is a symbol of the stars and represents a well-known mythical hero among the Wichita. He is called Flint-Stone-Lying-Down-Above, which in my language is spoken as Tahanetsicihadidia, the guardian of the warriors.
THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA by George Amos Dorsey
Page 2
On the back of each hand is tattooed a small design resembling the bird’s foot. This is made immediately after the boy has killed his first bird. Up and down the arms and across the breast may be found additional marks in the form of a small cross. [...] These crosses are symbols of the stars and represent a well-known mythical hero among the Wichita called “Flint-Stone-Lying-Down-Above” (Tahanetskihadidia), who, as is told in one of the myths, is one of the guardians of the warriors.
SAVAGE BELOVED
Page 175
“Three concentric circles are tattooed around one nipple of each Wichita woman. These concentric rings prevent the women’s breasts from becoming pendulous in old age.”
THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA by George Amos Dorsey
Page 3
The nipple is also tattooed, and around it are three concentric circles. [...] They are also told that the concentric rings about the breasts prevent them from becoming pendulous in old age.
SAVAGE BELOVED
Page 179
“For it is now the Moon of the Strawberries, when bears are seeking green sedges, or roots, anthills, and berries, and when buffalo sharpen and polish their horns for bloody contests among themselves.”
INDIAN BOYHOOD by Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman
Page 54
“I was once an interested and unseen spectator of a contest between a pair of grizzly bears and three buffaloes--a rash act for the bears, for it was in the moon of strawberries, when the buffaloes sharpen and polish their horns for bloody contests among themselves.”
SAVAGE BELOVED by Cassie Edwards
Page 180
“Four of them represent the four world quarters, or gods, while the upward peak is symbolic of Man-Never-Known-On-Earth, or Kinnekasus, the Creator.”
He gestured toward the entranceway. “And the door of all homes of my people is placed on the east side so that the sun may look into the lodge as it rises, while the small circular opening overhead is placed there not only for smoke to escape through, but also so that the sun may look into the lodge at noon, and at night, the star gods are thought to pour down their strength into our homes.”
He then gestured toward the fire pit. “The fire’s place in all my people’s lodges is considered sacred,” he said. “There offerings are made, food is cooked, and medicine is heated.”
THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA by George Amos Dorsey
Page 5
The four projecting poles outside stand for the four world quarters or gods, while the upward peak is symbolic of Man-Never-Known-on-Earth (Kinnekasus), the Creator in Wichita mythology. It is said that a door is placed on the east side that the sun may look into the lodge as it rises, and that the west door is so placed that the sun may look in as it sets, while through the small circular opening overhead the sun may look in at noon. The south door is still retained that the god of the south wind may enter. The fireplace is considered sacred, for here offerings are made, the food is cooked, medicines heated, etc.
SAVAGE BELOVED
Page 213-214
Each was emptying her bag, dumping the corn into one big heap. The pile soon became so high that it looked as if wagons had been used to haul it instead of the simple carrying bags.
“The next step is to build a long, narrow ditch with mud embankments along each side against which to lean the corn,” Two Eagles explained.
[...]
“They will build a big fire and throw the ears into it,” Two Eagles said. “The women will take turns reaching their hands in and out of the flames to turn the ears over. They are skilled at doing this, and no one ever burns herself. When the wood burns down, the naked ears are left to roast in the coals. Sometimes the ears roast all night, as this gives them a delicious flavor, but today the women will just leave the corn in until the sun begins lowering in the sky. Then whatever husks remain on the corn will be removed and the women will proceed to cut the kernels from the cobs. For this purpose they will use a clam shell, but kernels from small-grained ears are removed with a knife.”
[...]
Candy saw some of the women spreading large hide covers over the ground, then pegging them down tight until they were smooth.
[...]
“The kernels of the roasted corn will be spread out there,” he said. “The blue corn will be separated into three groups by size, small medium, and large. Then they will be winnowed and put into sacks made of tanned hide. After each sack is full, the women will beat upon it with a long stick to make sure that the grains are settled compactly into the bag. They will place a lid inside the bag and pull the drawstring closed. After all the bags are filled, there will be a big pile of them.”
CADDOAN TEXTS PAWNEE, SOUTH BAND DIALECT by Gene Weltfish
Page 40
Then they would dump them into one big heap. The pile would be so high that it looked as if wagons had been used to do the hauling instead of the simple carrying bags. The next step was to build a long narrow ditch with mud embankments along each side against which to lean the corn.
Then they would build a big fire and throw the ears of corn into it. One would have to stick one’s hand in and out of the flame repeatedly to turn the ears over, but one would never burn oneself. When the wood has burned down the naked ears are roasted in the coals. The corn would be left to roast all night as this gives it a delicious flavor.
Kernels from small-grained ears were removed with a knife. Large hide covers were then spread out upon the ground and pegged down tight so that they would be very smooth and upon these the kernels were spread out to dry.
When the kernels were dry they were winnowed and put into sacks made of tanned hide. After each sack was full they would beat upon it with a long stick to make sure the grains settled compactly into the bag. Then they would place a lid inside the bag [...] pull the drawstring. After we had filled them there would be a big pile of bags.
SAVAGE BELOVED
Page 220
Still in their pods, the beans had been spread out upon a hide pegged to the ground. When the beans had dried, they were beaten with a stick to release them from the pods. Finally the beans were winnowed and then packed in bags.
[...]
The first step was to peel the pumpkins. Then some were cut spirally into strips from top to bottom, while others were cut into rings and hung on a cross-pole to dry.
After the whole pumpkin had been stripped, there was a disc left at the bottom, which was known as the “Sitting One.” The pumpkin pieces were then left to dry for about a day. Afterward, the women gathered again to complete the process. The pumpkin strips were braided and formed into mats, which were left out in the sun to dry.
CADDOAN TEXTS PAWNEE, SOUTH BAND DIALECT by Gene Weltfish
Pages 40-41
The beans in their pods would be spread out upon a hide which was pegged to the ground and when they were dry would be beaten with a stick to release them from the pods.
[...]
The first step was to peel the pumpkins. Then if it is decided that braided pumpkin mats are to be made, the pumpkins are cut spirally into strips from top to bottom. Other pumpkins are cut into rings and hung on a cross pole to dry. After the whole pumpkin has been stripped there is left a disc at the bottom which is known as “Sitting-one.” The pumpkin is then left to dry for about a day when it is in the proper stage for braiding and for the stringing of the bottom discs. After they are braided, the pumpkin mats are left out in the sun to dry.
SAVAGE BELOVED
Page 231
“The moon is the special guardian of Wichita women, for the moon is a woman and possesses all the powers that women desire. It was the moon taught the first woman on earth and gave her power. She instructs women as to the time of the monthly sickness, informs them when they are pregnant, and when the child is to be born. She has told them that after birth the child must be offered to her by passing the hands over the child’s body and raising it aloft to the moon. At that time the moon is asked to bestow her blessings upon the child, that he or she may grow into power rapidly, for she, herself, has the power to increase rapidly in size.”
MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA by George Amos Dorsey
Page 19
The Moon is the special guardian of the women, for she is a woman and possesses all the powers which women desire. She it was who taught the first woman on earth and gave her power. She instructs the women as to the time of the monthly sickness, informs them when they are pregnant, and when the child is to be born, and has told them that after birth the child must be offered to her by passing the hands over the child’s body and raising it aloft, offering it to the Moon, at which time she is asked to bestow her blessing upon the child, that he may grow into power rapidly, for she herself has the power to increase rapidly in size.
SAVAGE BELOVED by Cassie Edwards
Page 340
“That star in the north is known as the ‘Ghost-Bear,’” Two Eagles said. “It is said that a man who was traveling in the far north came upon another man who said, ‘This is my burial place. I live in the far north. If you accept whatever I offer you, I will give you power. You shall have power over the herbs to cure people, for I am a medicine man. If an accident should happen, or if sickness should arrive, I will give you a way to heal. In your doctoring you should look to the sun, for my powers are derived from him. Before you begin doctoring, offer me smoke.’ The man was then informed that it was the Ghost Bear who was talking to him, and upon looking again, he saw that it was a Ghost Bear. The man looked back and the Ghost Bear had become a star.”
MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA by George Amos Dorsey
Page 18
Next in importance is a star in the north known as the “Ghost-Bear.” This star is of comparatively recent origin, for it is said that a certain man who traveled in the far north saw a human being standing before him, who said to him: “This is my burial place. I live in the far north. There I live. Should you like some of my power, and should you accept whatever I offer you I will give you power. You shall have the power over the herbs to cure people, for I am a medicine-man. If an accident should happen, or if sickness should arise, I will give you a way to heal, and in your doctoring you should look to the Sun, for my powers are derived from him. Before you begin doctoring, offer me smoke.” Thereupon the man was informed that it was the Ghost-Bear who was talking to him, and upon looking again he saw that it was a Ghost-Bear. The man looked back and the Ghost-Bear had become a star.
by Candy • Monday, January 07, 2008 at 06:24 AM
I was a doof and forgot to include all the tables I needed to in my initial entry about the usage of unattributed material in Cassie Edwards novels. I blame law school for disordering my mind. I suppose it’s a good thing anyway, since the table seems to be fucking up our shizznizzle.
At any rate, here’s more Cassie Edwards tastiness, this time from Savage Longings, published by Leisure Books in 1997, ISBN 0-8439-4176-6. In this particular book, I was only able to find usages from only one source text, The Cheyenne Indians: Their History and Ways of Life by George Bird Grinnell. Excerpts quoted under fair use, etc. etc., and please forgive any typos.
From Page 49 of Savage Longings:
The root digger was a slender, sharp-pointed implement which was used to thrust into the ground to pry out the roots. Each digger was made of ash, the point sharpened and hardened in the fire. There was a knob at one end to protect the hand.
From Page 209 of The Cheyenne Indians:
This work was done with the root-digger (his’ so), a slender, sharp-pointed implement to be thrust into the ground to pry out the roots. In modern times the root-digger has been of iron—any sort of an iron bar. In earlier days, however, these implements were of wood, usually ash, the point sharpened and hardened in the fire. One kind of root-digger was two and one-half to three feet long, and had a knob at one end to protect the hand.
From Page 323 of Savage Longings:
Snow Deer had explained to Charles that it was an old Cheyenne custom for visitors to occupy the lodge of some newly married couple who would then sleep elsewhere. She had told him that this was an honor not only to the owners of the lodge but also to the visitor.
From Page 146 of The Cheyenne Indians:
If visitors came to a village, the old custom was for them to occupy the lodge of some newly married couple, who would give them possession and sleep elsewhere. This was an honor to the visitor.
From page 325 of Savage Longings:
The women who belonged to this society created ceremonial decorations by sewing quills on robes, lodge coverings, and other things made of the skins of animals.
Snow Deer had told Charles that the Cheyenne women considered this work of high importance, and when properly performed, it was quite as much respected as were bravery and success in war among the men.
From Page 159 of The Cheyenne Indians:
Of the women’s associations referred to the most important one was that devoted to the ceremonial decoration, by sewing on quills, of robes, lodge coverings, and other things made of the skins of animals. This work women considered of high importance, and, when properly performed, quite as creditable as were bravery and success in war among the men.
From page 330 of Savage Longings:
The old quiller had then asked Becky to hold her hands out in front of her, palms up and edges together. The old woman bit off a piece of a certain root, chewed it fine, and spat it on Becky’s hand. Becky was then instructed in ceremonial motions, passing her right hand over the outside of her right leg, from ankle to hip, her left hand over her right arm from wrist to shoulder, her left hand over her left leg, from ankle to hip, and her right hand over the left arm, from wrist to shoulder.
Then her hands had been placed on her head and passed backward from the forehead.
From Page 160 of The Cheyenne Indians:
The old woman directed the candidate to hold her hands out in front of her, palms up and edges together. The old woman bit off a piece of a certain root, chewed it fine, and spat on the hands ceremonially, and the candidate made the ceremonial motions, passing the right hand over the from ankle to hip, her left hand over her right arm from wrist to shoulder, her left hand over her left leg from ankle to hip, and her right hand over the left arm from wrist to shoulder. Then the hands were placed on the head, and passed backward from the forehead.
Again, keep in mind that these are passages I’ve managed to find on-line; there were many suspicious passages that I couldn’t find source texts for, simply because Google failed and I can’t be bothered to haul my ass to the library. Are there any bored grad students/librarians in the audience who want to help me play Spot the Source Text? I have several passages marked from various other Edwards novels that I can e-mail you, and I’ll post anything you find (with full attribution, of course).
by Candy • Monday, January 07, 2008 at 05:13 AM
So my friend Kate (not to be confused with HaikuKatie of Nebula Haiku fame) was in desperate need of new reading material recently, and since she’d never read any romance novels before, I decided to throw some at her to see what she thought, since she’s a Classicist and an SF/F geek. I gave her examples of what I thought were the best (Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase), the most popular (Dark Lover by J.R. Ward) and the worst (Shadow Bear by Cassie Edwards) of the genre.
Shadow Bear introduced poor Kate to all-new levels of pain--she’d never encountered a book in which ellipses and exclamation marks were abused with quite that much abandon, or in which the characters spoke in Glossary with such distressing consistency. What especially caught her eye, however, were the didactic passages in the book. They were written in a distinctly different voice, and out of idle curiosity, she decided to Google certain phrases and sentences.
The results were...interesting. Kate was able to find large chunks of text from a few sources that seemed to have been inserted into Shadow Bear with little to no modification, mostly from Land of the Spotted Eagle by Luther Standing Bear and, I shit you not, an article about black-footed ferrets from the Defenders of Wildlife.
Yes. Ferrets.
After we’d picked ourselves up from the floor (seriously: ferrets! Hee!), and since we’re suckers for punishment, Kate and I promptly ran to Powell’s to obtain more Edwards novels and spent pretty much all of Saturday afternoon and evening combing through four novels to see if we could find any more Eerie Similarities. No, we didn’t have anything better to do with ourselves. Yes, our dorkery and geekiness are legion. Yes, we’re masochistic fools. (Four Cassie Edwards novels in less than 12 hours! FOUR! Aieeee.)
Presented below are the results of our compare-n-contrast exercise--identical information has been sent to Penguin Group and Dorchester Publishing, and if they make any sort of public statement, we’ll let you know. Keep in mind, we found all this out with minimal effort. Kate and I didn’t bother to hit the libraries; we mostly depended on the Grace of Google to shower its bounty upon us.
And to all the legal-type people for Companies What Publish Books and the Legal Counsel of a Certain Author of Native American Romances who may be taking an interest in this here particular page: please note that we’re not making accusations of any sort. We’re merely providing evidence of Startling and Eerie Similarities between these Cassie Edwards novels and certain texts published prior to the Edwards books.
Et naturellement, all excerpts are quoted under fair use provisions of United States copyright law. All text in the table below = transcribed verbatim from the sources with full attribution and links to the source material; however, the occasional typo may have snuck in here and there, for which we apologize in advance.
| Shadow Bear by Cassie Edwards (2007, ISBN 978-0-451-22174-2, Signet) |
Other Materials |
| "In my vision, I also saw the fields of sunflowers that are beloved by our Lakota people all scorched, the flowers no longer able to reach their faces toward the sun. I saw buffalo trapped amid flames."
She paused, swallowed hard, then said, “The sunflower and buffalo are two beloved symbols of our Lakota people. The sun is essential to all health and life. In spring, summer, and winter, rays are welcome. In the spring, its warmth brings forth new grass; in summer its heat cures the skins, dries the meat, and preserves food for storage. The buffalo are all and everything to the existence of the Lakota.”
p. 6-7 |
So the sunflower and the buffalo were two beloved symbols of the Lakota. So first, last, and throughout existence, the Lakota knew that the sun was essential to health and to all life. In spring, summer, and winter its rays were welcome. In the spring its warmth brought forth new grass; in the summer its heat cured the skins, dried the meat, and preserved food for storage, and in the winter the Lakotas bathed their bodies in the sunshine, stripping themselves just as they did to bathe in the streams.
Standing Bear, Luther. Land of the Spotted Eagle. 2006
p.49 |
| He rode from the village, a sadness grabbing at his heart. After a while he saw several buffalo wandering through a field of sunflowers, lolling their heads as they walked. Loving the sunflowers so much, some of the animals had uprooted the plants and had wound them about their necks, letting sprays dangle from their horns.
p. 10-11 |
And strange it is, but the buffalo loved the simple and odorless sunflower just as did the Lakota. These great beasts wandered through the sunflower fields, wallowing their heads among them. Sometimes they uprooted the plants and wound them about their necks, letting sprays dangle from their left horns.
Id., p. 49 |
| She knew now that meat was the main article of food for the Lakota. It was their staff of life and eaten at all meals.
p. 148 |
Meat was the main article of food, the staff of life, eaten at all meals and in all seasons.
Id., p. 53 |
| Soup was their universal dish. She had enjoyed all the varieties of meat, corn, and even squash as big as the paunch of a buffalo, all very sweet from the hot ashes of the fire.
p. 148 |
Whether meat was fresh or dry, it was usually boiled, for soup was the universal dish of the Lakota, being liked by young, middle-aged, and old.
Id., p. 54 |
| Shiona had watched as the intestines of a buffalo that one warrior had chanced to find were thoroughly cleaned by his wife, looped over the end of a stick and roasted to a crispy brown over the hot outdoor fire. Another woman had made her meat more enticing, their strips having been braided and looped in a chain stitch before putting it in the flames of the fire for roasting.
p. 147-48 |
The intestines of the buffalo were thoroughly cleaned, looped over the end of a stick, and roasted to a crispy brown over a hot coal fire, or again, as if to make this good dish more enticing, the strips were braided or looped in chain-stitch before putting over the fire.
Id., p. 54 |
| Shiona had grimaced at learning that the brains of animals were used to thicken soup, and that tripe, either boiled or roasted, was a favorite dish.
p. 148 |
Brains were used to thicken the soup, and tripe, either boiled or roasted, was a favorite dish.
Id., p. 54 |
| This was the most welcome season of the year... their fruit season.
Chokeberries, grapes, plums, currants, strawberries, and gooseberries grew plentiful in the woods and alongside the river and streams.
One of the first fruits to ripen was the wazusteca, strawberries.
Then the wild plums would ripen and fall to the ground. The women would gather them, dry them, and put them in storage for winter food.
Later, in the fall, after the first frost, the fruit of the wild rose would turn red and make a delicious food, sweet raw or cooked.
p. 8 |
The most welcome season of the year was the fruit season when the chokeberry, grape, plum, currant, strawberry and gooseberry all grew plentifully in the woods along the streams. We feasted on these delicious fruits, sharing them with the bears, raccoons, muskrats, and beavers. The coyote even ate the wild plums that ripened and fell to the ground. The women gathered these fruits and dried them, putting them in storage for winter food. One of the first fruits of the year to ripen was the wazusteca, or strawberry, while very soon after came the wild currant… The fruit of the wild rose, which turned red in the late fall after the first frost, made a delicious food. It was very sweet either raw or cooked.
Id., p. 59 |
| "You do have much to learn, but not all sexually," Shadow Bear said. He reached for one of her hands as the fire burned softly in the fire pit. "As one of my people, you will learn that every day begins with a salute to the sun, and as a bringer of light, it is recognized whether its face is visible or whether it is hidden by a clouded sky."
p. 198-199 |
Every day for the Lakota began with a salute to the sun, and as a bringer of light, it was recognized, whether its face was visible or whether it was hidden by a clouded sky.
Id., p. 47 |
| "That is because there is no kneeling, nor words spoken, nor hands raised, but in every Lakota heart there is just a thought of tribute," Shadow Bear proudly explained.
He turned to her so that their eyes met. "You will learn that no assembly of our people is required for that tribute, either. Each and every person, on his own account, holds his own moment of worship."
p. 199 |
There was no kneeling, no words were spoken, and no hands were raised, but in every heart was just a thought of a tribute. No assembly ceremonies were held in the morning, each and every person on his own account holding his moment of worship.
Id., p. 47 |
| He nodded toward the closed entrance flap. "Outside, you will notice that further recognition is given the sun by the erection of the Lakota village with every tepee door facing the east," he said.
p. 199 |
Further recognition was given the sun by the erection of the villages with every tipi door facing the east.
Id., p. 47 |
| "The arrows used to wound my brother and that took your loved ones from you were not made from this shrub. Our Lakota hunting arrows are made with its three feathers and finished with the down that comes from under the tail feathers of a bird."
He drew his hand from her. "The two red wavering lines, the symbol of lightning, are always painted from the feathered end and halfway to the arrow tip."
p. 213
"The arrow I described is mainly used for hunting. That is the reason the arrow is grooved to the tip. That allows the blood to flow free from the body of the downed animal, thereby humanely hastening death."
p.215 |
The best specimen of Lakota hunting arrow had three feathers finished with a fluff of down that came from under the tail feathers of the bird. Two red wavering lines, the symbol of lightning, were painted from the feathered end halfway to the arrow tip, but grooved the rest of the way to the tip so as to allow the blood to flow freely from the body of the animal, thereby hastening death.
Id., p. 20 |
| "A bright painted lodge, fine blankets, stacks of beadwork and plush robes and food speak of good living," he said, taking her by an elbow, ushering her inside the tepee. "This is all yours."
p. 202 |
“And to those from the southern camps, the new, bright-painted lodges, the many good bows and guns, the fine blankets, and the stacks of beadwork in almost every lodge spoke of good living.”
Sandoz, Mari. Crazy Horse: Strange Man of the Oglalas. 2004
p. 128 |
| "In their own way, they are a peaceful enough animal," Shadow Bear said... "They are so named because of their dark legs."
"They are so small, surely weighing only about two pounds and measuring two feet from tip to tail," Shiona said. "While alone in my father's study one day, after seeing a family of ferrets from afar in the nearby woods, I took one of my father's books from his library and read up on them. They were an interesting study. I discovered they are related to minks and otters. It is said that their closest relations are European ferrets and Siberian polecats. Researchers theorize that polecats crossed the land bridge that once linked Siberia and Alaska, to establish the New World population." p. 220
|
"Black-footed ferrets, so-named because of their dark legs, weigh about two pounds and measure two feet from tip to tail. Related to mink and otters, they are North America's only native ferret (and a different species than the ferrets kept as pets). Their closest relatives are European ferrets and Siberian polecats. Researchers theorize polecats crossed the land bridge that once linked Siberia and Alaska to establish the New World population."
Tolme, Paul. "Toughing it Out in the Badlands," Defenders Magazine, Summer 2005.
|
| "What I have observed of them, myself, is that these tiny animals breed in early spring when the males roam the night in search of females," Shadow Bear said, watching as the last of the ferrets bounded off and disappeared amid the bushes away from where they had first been spotted. "Mothers typically give birth to three kits in early summer and raise their young alone in abandoned prairie dog burrows."
p. 220-221 |
"The animals breed in March and April, when males roam the night in search of females. Mothers typically give birth to three kits in June, and raise their young alone in abandoned prairie dog burrows."
Id. |
| "I read that ferrets stalk and kill prairie dogs during the night. Using their keen sense of smell and whiskers to guide them through pitch-black burrows, ferrets suffocate the sleeping prey, an impressive feat considering the two species are about the same weight," Shiona said, shivering at the thought, for to her one animal was as cute and precious as the next. It was a shame that any had to die to sustain the other.
p. 221 |
"Ferrets stalk and kill prairie dogs during the night. Using their keen sense of smell and whiskers to guide them through pitch-black burrows, ferrets clamp a suffocation bite on their sleeping prey -- an impressive feat, considering that the two species are about the same weight."
Id. |
| "In turn, coyotes, badgers, and owls prey on ferrets, whose life span in the wild is often less than two winters," Shadow Bear explained. "They have a short, quick life."
p. 221 |
Coyotes, badgers and owls in turn prey on ferrets, whose lifespan in the wild is often less than two years. "It's a tough and quick life," Livieri says.
Id.
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by SB Sarah • Monday, December 31, 2007 at 10:34 AM
Michelle Styles, who is a beekeeper and that’s just bloody awesome, sent me a link to an article in The Guardian about the late Benazir Bhutto titled The Flawed and Feudal Princess. The author, William Dalrymple, met Bhutto on an interview, and attempts to write a contrasting account of her life, personal and political, in light of her assassination last week.
I won’t pretend in the least any ability to speak intelligently about Pakistani politics and Bhutto’s legacy as a former Prime Minister and candidate in the upcoming elections. But the mention of Bhutto’s love of romance novels in Dalrymple’s article is interesting:
For the Americans, what Benazir Bhutto wasn’t was possibly more attractive even than what she was. She wasn’t a religious fundamentalist, she didn’t have a beard, she didn’t organise rallies where everyone shouts: ‘Death to America’ and she didn’t issue fatwas against Booker-winning authors, even though Salman Rushdie ridiculed her as the Virgin Ironpants in his novel Shame.
However, the very reasons that made the West love Benazir Bhutto are the same that gave many Pakistanis second thoughts. Her English might have been fluent, but you couldn’t say the same about her Urdu which she spoke like a well-groomed foreigner: fluently, but ungrammatically. Her Sindhi was even worse; apart from a few imperatives, she was completely at sea.
English friends who knew Benazir at Oxford remember a bubbly babe who drove to lectures in a yellow MG, wintered in Gstaad and who to used to talk of the thrill of walking through Cannes with her hunky younger brother and being ‘the centre of envy; wherever Shahnawaz went, women would be bowled over’.
This Benazir, known to her friends as Bibi or Pinky, adored royal biographies and slushy romances: in her old Karachi bedroom, I found stacks of well-thumbed Mills and Boons including An Affair to Forget, Sweet Imposter and two copies of The Butterfly and the Baron. This same Benazir also had a weakness for dodgy Seventies easy listening - ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree’ was apparently at the top of her playlist. This is also the Benazir who had an enviable line in red-rimmed fashion specs and who went weak at the sight of marrons glace.
Curious use of romance novels to create an understanding of a female leader. As Styles said in her email to me, “In many ways, it is unremarkable—an intelligent woman reading romance.” True - and say what you will about Bhutto’s political leadership, she was not unintelligent.
The article itself is thought provoking, and one of the few that painted a both-sides portrait of Bhutto, who was both singular as a woman leader in that part of the world, and not so extraordinary as she had a large amount of controversy and allegations of corruption surrounding her. That Dalrymple makes a it a point that she read “slushy” romance is interesting, though, because on one hand it makes her relatable to Western women who do read romance for leisure. But on the other hand, I wonder if the comment was meant to illustrate a flippant, uncaring side of her personality, who spent the wealth she had without worrying about those who lived under her administration - a point underscored by the account of how little her administration did to support the poor in Pakistan.
Truthfully, this is one of the few uses of romance reading as a marker of some degree of femininity or womanhood that didn’t raise my hackles. However, I’m not holding my breath for the release of an article detailing Hillary Clinton’s top favorite romance novels. Not a chance.
by SB Sarah • Sunday, December 30, 2007 at 10:27 PM
Thanks to Kalen Hughes, I have spied with my little bespectacled eye the Romantic Times nominations for Reader’s Choice awards. Hello there, Nathalie Gray, Victoria Dahl, and Kalen Hughes. And Julia Quinn. And damn, that’s a LOT of nominees. How long is this awards ceremony?
I’m STILL SCROLLING. And look, Dot Frank. She lives in my town.
And PC Cast and Kristin Cast - hot diggity. And J.D. Robb.
OK, still scrolling. Holy cow.
Samantha Graves! Marianne Stillings! Jeaniene Frost!
AND THERE BETTER BE A BATHROOM BREAK TIMES 10 if this is all in one ceremony, is all I’m sayin’.
Look, there’s Lilith Saintcrow’s Dante Valentine nominated as best heroine - whee!
I need a bathroom break from reading this list.
Liz Fielding is nominated too!
And my eyes are crossing. I’m actually cross-eyed so it’s not like this is a new thing but with double vision this list just got twice as long. And if there’s someone here who I’ve missed, give yourself a shoutout.
WOW. That’s a lot of nominees. So, since I know diddly-poo about the RT conference except that I plan on going, is this one ceremony? Or, is there a ceremony? Or are the winners issued in a blanket announcement? And is it going to be Saturday night this year because who the hell crapping planned it to coincide with Pesach such that all us Passover-celebrating Jewish folk have to head off to seder on Saturday night? Because, dude, BOO on that decision.
My matzo musings notwithstanding, booyah to those who scored a nomination - name checking is always a good thing.
