Justine and I went to the Bronx Zoo yesterday. As you may know, Leviathan has tons of animals in it, so I was up for some face-to-face contact. This kind of research is important, because reading about an animal doesn’t tell you how it moves, how it smells, or how it reacts to a sudden shrieking noise that I call “El Banshee.” It just ain’t the same.
We were shown around by an old friend of mine, a wildlife conservator who has an office at the zoo, but usually works in places like Afghanistan, Iran, and Tibet. He and his wife once drove a baby snow leopard across Pakistan, which sounds exciting, because, like, the Taliban is there. He does a lot of dangerous stuff like that. When my friend and I worked together in publishing, the whole office voted him “Most Likely to Die in a Foreign Land.”
But he’s survived long enough for us to get an excellent tour of the zoo.
There were lemurs, who are always totally chill.
And we got to watch a “tiger enrichment session” from really close up.
The tiger is doing tricks because it wants a “bloodsicle.” Here’s what I think: if anything at your job wants a “bloodsicle,” your job is more dangerous than mine.
We also wanted to see meerkats, but sadly there are none left at the zoo. So (as twittered yesterday) my pal took us back to his office where he has a meerkat skull.
No, I don’t think this skull from a meerkat that used to be at the zoo. My friend has always owned stuff like meerkat skulls. It is from him that I learned the term “maggoting room.” I use it often.
As we were leaving, I realized it had been more than a decade since I’d been up to the Bronx Zoo, and years since I’d been to any zoo at all, and that sucks. You can’t expect to understand your own planet if you don’t occasionally check out the other 99.9% of species that live here. And you can’t really be much of a writer if you don’t understand your planet.
There’s only so much that can happen in coffee shops. Eventually you should get your characters out of talking about lattes and into the land of bloodiscles.
So as you guys get older and more stuck in your ways like me, try to remember these deceptively simple words:
Don’t forget to go to the zoo.
Update:
As it’s Friday, let me remind you that I haz a Twitter.
https://twitter.com/scottwesterfeld
Kels i have noo idea whats up w/the uglies movie but i really want to know!!
jeez thats like the fawesomest job EVER!!! and ya spelled bloodsicle rong the third time Scott-la hehehehehehehehehe
-Lizzy-wa OUT! 8)
I finally got Mind rain 😀
I cant wait to read it
omg! so much to reply to!!!
Georgina: LMAO!!!!! /lol/
Riva-la: thats funny…….. not to be mean….
when i start taking my horse on more trail rides there is alot of wildlife!
i went with my sister to the Special Olympics Maryland Equestrian competition today and it was really cool! we cleaned up!!!! gold medals in every event!!!!! but i am SO DEAD TIRED: been there from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, walking around it horrid heat and sun with no sunglasses! ugh. im dying….. i want dessert.
pony-la.
Ps: Maeve: its funny, we have the same name !!!!! i have only met to other maeves in my life, one was a little baby and the other is a girl one grade down from me who is REALLY wierd, can’t wait to make fun of her when she comes to our middle school next year!
you know what i just realized?in all of the Uglies books(Uglies, pretties, specials) Tally WAS what the title was. But in extras,it didn’t really follow that pattern. I guess that Aya was an extra(as in a nobody) for part of the book, but she never became an Extraterrestrial.
Uhh I need advice people! I am writing a story for a writing contest about this girl who’s mom is dying, and I have no idea how to start it!!! Have any ideas??? Please give me some advice!!!
Emily-wa, I always have trouble starting books. What’s wrong with the mom? If she’s in the hospital you can start with the girl in the car going to visit her. Rain would be nice for a scene like that. If whatever’s killing her is new, you could start with the diagnosis or the mom telling the girl.
That’s really all I can think of. Hope it helps. 🙂
Anyone else have Shelfari? If so, know of any good groups on there? I’ve been having trouble finding one to join. I started my own group for book bloggers and writers. My name is a link to my Shelfari page, here’s a link to the page for the group I started: http://www.shelfari.com/groups/38976/about 😀
Dahlia-wa, Thanks alot!!!! That really does help alot!!! The mom has leukemia, so…..I figured that she doesn’t pay attention to the symptoms, and then it gets worse….
But anyways, thanks again for the help! I can probably get started on something good!!!!
QUOTED: The tiger is doing tricks because it wants a “bloodsicle.†Here’s what I think: if anything at your job wants a “bloodsicle,†your job is more dangerous than mine.
Man I wish. I would love to work with vampires.
Abnormality is a natural talent for me.
So jealous! Everytime I go to the Bronx Zoo I can’t get close enough to the glass for the tiger enrichment. They are my favorite part of the zoo. I live in Danbury, CT, so everytime my family goes to the zoo I make them go to the tiger exhibit 😀
My mom loves the Congo Gorilla Forest
I love the Bronx Zoo! Great picture of the new Madagascar exhibit. Their Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit is one of the nation’s very best zoo exhibit anywhere. Other great exhibits include JungleWorld, Wild Asia, Himalayan Highlands, Tiger Mountain, and so much more.
AM i the only one who didnt know that Tally is being played by Emily Browning, David is by Craig Horner, and Shay is by Ashley from Secret Life on an American Teen? Because if so im so left out but if not THATS FREAKING AWESOME! i imagined tally and shay much different though…
does something on the blog say about the movie or did i just spoil it?! because, he cant arrest me because there is a Youtube video on it!
I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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