Art Weasels and Other Animals

For the past week the "Get Fuzzy" comic strip has had a plot line involving the cat writing a novel. It's been a kind of satire of writers and the publishing industry. At the outset Bucky Katt wanted a $175,000 advance from its owner-- but settled for twenty-five cents. The cat began the book with a list of what it ate that day. very postmodern. Recent episodes had the cat's novel stolen by a weasel living down the hall. This reminds me of zinester Tom Hendricks's long-time battles against "Art Weasels."

Speaking of weasels. . . .

Let's see. "The Person on Horseback." "The Person from Laramie." "Person without a Star." "The Person in the Iron Mask." "Person and Superperson." Seems kind of im-personal, doesn't it? (I hear Rider Haggard's classic She, one of the most exciting novels ever written, is being changed to Person.)

"Person of the Year"? As writers we should be against the debasement of language. Make it "Man of the Year" or "Woman of the Year," depending who wins it, but please, no more "Persons."