The Brothers Grimm redux. What is this flower?

There are these tiny purple flowers that grow wild in our lawn and fosteronfilm is going to have to mow soon and thereby bring keen-edged death to them. I picked a handful and stuck them into a couple shot glasses, but I have no idea what they are. Anyone recognize them?


Resumed our aborted effort to watch The Brothers Grimm last night. I enjoyed it, although the storyline was predictable, pretty much straight from the opening scene. But I liked how they wove in the “origins” of a bunch of fairy tales. And, as fosteronfilm said, Terry Gilliam is like the half- or step-brother of Tim Burton. There’s a definite, very beautiful look to a Terry Gilliam movie.

My favorite line: “I made that armor. It’s not magical; it’s just shiny.”

   


Writing Stuff

I saw they’ve got up a “in the next issue” on the Cricket website for the April issue. There’s an elephant on the cover! From the titles in the ToC, April’s issue looks to have an elephant theme, which, I assume, is where “The King of Rabbits and Moon Lake” fits in, having an elephant (actually a whole herd of them) in the story. I love elephants. Can’t wait to see the illustrations. Wheee!

Received:
– 2 86-day form rejections from Espresso Fiction. I’m thinking I just don’t write the sort of stuff these guys are looking for. All I’ve ever gotten from them is say-nothing form “no”s. Alas.
-27-day “pass” from Weird Tales. They included some comments, which I appreciate, but I have to admit being rather baffled by them. First off, they took issue with not grasping the time and place my story was set in quickly enough. Then they had a problem with how long it took for my protag’s gender to become apparent. Except the first sentence sets the story at my protag’s high school reunion with the second sentence giving the year of graduation, and my protag mentions having had a lesbian affair on the first page. So, uh, I have to wonder, what story were they reading?

They also asked after a previous story I’d sent them in 2002 that they’d rejected, asking if I’d made the changes they suggested, and if so, would I like to send it back for consideration. While I appreciate their interest, as it turns out, I didn’t make the changes they suggested and have since sold that story elsewhere. If they’d wanted me to do a rewrite then, I would’ve been delighted to oblige, but they didn’t ask for one! Grumpf.

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28 Responses to The Brothers Grimm redux. What is this flower?

  1. m0nkeygrl says:

    I had those in my yard growing up…I loved them. I used to pick them all the time.

    Your question got me curious so I looked it up…it’s a rather common weed called Henbit.

    • Eugie Foster says:

      Oo, sweet! I had a few moments of anxiety there, wondering if I was going “nice flowers! *pick pick pick*” and they’d end up being something toxic and rash-inducing. I’m relieved I didn’t bring pretty death into our house to arrange in little bouquets.

      Thanks for the info as well as the link to that really excellent weed ID page. I’ve bookmarked it so I can use it for my future “what is this?” forays.

  2. safirasilv says:

    So, uh, I have to wonder, what story were they reading?

    I’ve gotten a few rejections (and come to think of it, I think one was from Weird Tales) that make me think they got my story and someone else’s confused, and some other writer is now wondering, for instance, why their sweet fairytale was accused of having too much queer sex for Publication X’s taste.

    However, if they referenced another one of your stories, I’d say they’re just on crack.

    • Eugie Foster says:

      This isn’t the first mystifying rejection I’ve gotten from them. I sometimes wonder if while they’re going through their slush they’re snickering as they write their rejections, imagining the bewildered look on the hapless writers’ faces when they read their comments.

  3. I know a lot of people really hated ‘The Brothers Grimm’, but I’m with you. I kind of liked it. 🙂

    • Eugie Foster says:

      Yeah, it wasn’t brilliant or anything, but it was definitely enjoyable. I probably would have loved it as a kid, before I’d encountered all the fairy tale twists I’ve run into (and written) now.

  4. neo_prodigy says:

    re: what story were they reading?

    the people at weird tales doesn’t strike me as being that bright. maybe it’s just as well.

    • Eugie Foster says:

      Re: what story were they reading?

      the people at weird tales doesn’t strike me as being that bright.

      They could also be drawing their comments randomly out of a hat, snickering all the while . . .

  5. elvesforeyes says:

    You’re not the first on myf-list to mention some strange remarks from Weird Tales lately. It seems like they enjoy being mean or ignorant in their rejections from what I’v read. I just don’t know…

  6. If you gently pull out one of the flower blossoms and suck on the base of the stem, you will taste honey.

  7. coolmajaka says:

    I have never once heard any writer say something nice about Weird Tales. Who the hell asks for a story submitted three years ago? That makes no sense.

    They’re one of three or four markets I won’t sub to, because I don’t need that kind of grief.

    • Anonymous says:

      [tentatively raises hand] I have nice things to say about Weird Tales. I’ve received some lovely rejections from them. I very much appreciate the fact that they try to say something about the story–I can’t say I’ve ever received a “form” rejection from them. I’m pretty sure one or two (out of, oh 30? 50?) were weird and I wondered if they’d confused my story with another. But given the volume of submissions they receive, I can’t fault them for making the occasional mistake. (Being someone who has, more than once, put the wrong cover letter with the wrong manuscript in the wrong envelope during a marathon submission session.)

      Now, Marion Zimmer Bradley managed to send me a couple rejections that were obviously not related to the stories I’d submitted!

      Cheers, Dayle

      Cat Scratch Fever
      Black Lace Books, May 2006

  8. cricketshay says:

    Dude, you totally got me with the end of the story. I never expected that. Loved it! (Oranges and Lemons)

  9. Anonymous says:

    Interesting. Lately, it seems that weird rejections are the norm. I’m not all the fussy about rejection, but when it really seems like the publication read an entirely different story (or conversely, the editor has problems with reading comprehension), you gotta wonder…

    The last time I tried to read Weird Tales, I only got through one story in the whole mag. Too much “weird” for this girl.

    Pat Kirby.

    • Eugie Foster says:

      I’m there with you on the rejection front. Normally I just shrug and file them away, but the spate of recent odd ones leave me blinking.

      The last time I tried to read Weird Tales, I only got through one story in the whole mag.

      While I liked the regular Tanith Lee stories and some of the other really lush Dark Fantasy they published, I let my subscription lapse a while back (and they keep sending me renewal notices, especially with their rejections–now I have to wonder is that good marketing, trying to get folks you’ve just rejected to pony up for a subscription?). They just weren’t publishing enough fiction I really enjoyed to make it worth re-upping.

  10. That’s a really, really weird rejection.

    And I have those little purple flowers all over in my yard and in my parents’ yard. They’re EVERYWHERE. I have always thought they were wonderful and beautiful, and it makes my heart light to look at them.

    • Eugie Foster says:

      When I first saw them I thought “Faerie flowers!” They’re so delicate and eldritch and pretty. I love that they’ve popped up in our yard, although I bet our Nazi Homeowners Association people are gnashing their teeth that we haven’t poisoned the “weeds” and moved them down already.

  11. dream_wind says:

    Hmm. Do the leaves of the flowers give off a scent when crushed? Like roses, or nutmeg, or peppermint? If so, I would say you have a scented leaved geranium there – the leaf shapes look like it, as do the flowers. I know they don’t look like the typical ivy-leaved geraniums, but geraniums come in all shapes and sizes. They can have other scents as well.

    And if I’m right, don’t worry if mows all over them. They will come back.

  12. keesa_renee says:

    I know those flowers! Well, I don’t know the name, but my grandfather had them all over his lawn when we were little. We called them ‘honeyflowers’ because if you gently pull the florets off, you can suck on the end, and it tastes like honey. And don’t worry about mowing them; they’ll be back. 😀

    • Eugie Foster says:

      IDed them as Henbit. Hurray for lovely weeds that grow back! I’ve always liked the dandelions and red clover that popped up in our yard in the Midwest (although I’m sure there was much neighborly ire that we didn’t poison them), but these henbits are so delicate looking I was afraid they wouldn’t come back. Yay for rugged delicate things!

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