The Letter Z

Zimbabwe

In films of a certain era, the man of mystery has often just returned from Zimbabwe, or is on his way there (especially if he was spurned for the all-American lantern-jawed white-toothed boy from next door). It was a veritable land of intrigue and riches. I need a Zimbabwe.

Zinger

The word zinger has a pleasing metallic sound about it. A zinger is when you can almost hear your pithy comment cha-chinging upon impact. That clatter of a well-placed comment is as enchanting as a penny down a wishing well.

Zippy the Pinhead

The weird thing is: whenever I do a "links like this" search on julen.net, the one site that always appears in that list is the Zippy the Pinhead site. I'm not sure why, but I've got five bucks on the Pinhead angle.

Zither

I have always wanted to own a zither. I'd just have it hanging on my wall. Every once in a while, at a gathering at chez J, I'd scare my guests by wandering over and rubbing the strings contemplatively. Some days I'd even move to take it down before taking mercy on my guests.

Zoos

Among their attendant joys, Australian zoos allow you to hold koala bears. Koalas grab onto you, digging their claws into your shoulders, and dripping stale eucalyptus drool all over. The animals are small and compact and heavy, and would like to think of you as a tree.

Zorro

Zorro fascinates me - not for the actors who played him, who have largely been inadquate to what Zorro is (Anthony Hopkins' riff on the character, while atraditional, was one of the most interesting: A Zorro who has met failure and loss and despair.), but for the story and the way the story has been told dozens of times over the past eighty years.

More: On My Mind: July 18, 1998