The Alan Sondheim Mail Archive

Shriek-jump


Foofwa d'Imobilite, Kira Sedlock, Azure Carter
marionquette string-pulling jump down turn around

http://www.alansondheim.org/marionquette.mp4

It has already been stated that witches can afflict men with every kind of
physical infirmity; therefore it can be taken as a general rule that the
various verbal or practical remedies which can be applied in the case of
these infirmities which we have just been discussing are equally applic-
able to all other infirmities, such as epilepsy or leprosy, for example.
(Kramer and Sprenger, Malleus Maleficarum, 1484)

Are witches nothing but sped-up humans? Last night I had a dream; E. and I were 
writing a tragedy when suddenly I appeared as a stand-up comic before an 
audience. I said, "I'm glad to see you all have your foreheads!" - At which 
point I woke up, laughing and laughing.

Humans are slowed-down witches. When a human laughs, whole years pass. It
is a known fact in the animal kingdom: Only humans have foreheads.

"The furnace of his skin exhibited a leprous appearance, and his eyes,
wild glowing and deep sunk in his head, glaring dismally all around, 'Let
me measure the moon,' said he, ''tis full of marrow, faugh! but O this
torrent of lobsters--stop them, they curl the Heavens. Bottle up the war
in a cornfield, and put my vote in hell. Hold me--the room is in flames
and the castle totters, what a serpent is the minister, he has stung
mankind--I am a crocodile.' He now caught hold of the bed cloathes and
giving a dreadful shriek, EXPIRED."
(William Beckford, The Elegant Enthusiast, or, Modern Novel Writing, 1796,
quoted in Archibald Bolling Shepperson, The Novel in Motley, A History of
the Burlesque Novel in English, 1936)