The womb of the Zanzibar cat

[randy_byers]

I recently reread Joanna Russ' short story, "The Zanzibar Cat," when I discovered that it was an homage to Hope Mirrlees. The Zanzibar Cat is also the name of one of Russ' short story collections. I've never understood the title, and now I find that it's most likely a reference to Thoreau's comment in Walden, "It is not worth the while to go round

Comments

[don_fitch]

As a highschooler, I was favorably impressed by the essays of Lin Yutang, a Chinese-American writer who had the attitude of -"I am leisurely about what the world takes seriously, and serious about what the world takes leisurely"-. One of these days I'll excavate my copy of "The Importance of Living" and see if it re-reads as well as Thoreau mostly does.

[randy_byers]

I think the only thing I know about Lin Yutang is that he was referenced in a Frank Zappa song. Then again, I'm probably misremembering even that. Was he a Taoist?