Malinda Lo

This fall I’ve encountered a number of strange and wonderful things. Here are some of them:

Diana and the Stag, Metropolitan Museum of Art

I saw this when visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York last month, and it is so fantastic I can’t believe they haven’t replicated it for sale. Somebody should!

This is an automaton called Diana* and the Stag, made by Joachim Friess around 1620. According to the description (which I photographed separately, so you’ll have to believe me): “The stag has a hollow body and a removable head and can be used as a drinking cup. When used in drinking games, a mechanism in the base was wound up and the automaton was allowed to run freely on concealed wheels until it came to a halt before one of the participants at the table, who had to drink everything in the cup.”

How awesome is this?! Again: Why is this not widely replicated and available for sale as a fabulous gift? Because I want one.

Moving on …

Green dragon, Philadelphia

This is one of two giant green dragon sculptures I saw in Philadelphia. I believe they’re guarding a parking lot. I think they’re fantastic.

Shhh!

These are figurines of librarians, plus a library cart! Notice that one of the books is titled Darwin Awards. LOL. Found in the librarian’s office at Petaluma High School.

And lastly, well, these aren’t objects exactly, but I’m always missing #SUYC on Twitter, so here I am, finally participating, sort of.

#showusyourcocktails

That’s a beer (imbibed by Amy) and a Black Label-and-soda (imbibed by me), at the Grafton Street bar in Harvard Square last month. Cheers!

* Anyone who has seen/heard my powerpoint presentation on Ash (which admittedly isn’t that many of you) will know that Diana, the Greek goddess of hunting, is one of the inspirations that went into creating Kaisa (and the general concept of huntresses in Ash’s world). So I’m always on the lookout for interesting representations of Diana.