dennis scharnberg

mother of pearl

The trespasser explained to the police that he couldn’t tell that the sign actually meant what it said simply from reading it.

Burdyce Goode, Philosophy of Vegetables.

pursuit of self

“Most dreams are bungled,” said Mr. Palmer.  “That we are sleeping does not absolve us.”

Will Davies,  She Would If She Could.

nature as nightmare

“Please,” urged Ludwig, “do not use my questions as answers.

Roone Giddings, An Arrangement of Particles.

drawn and quartered

“When hedgehogs are nipping at your feet, here is what to do….”  And that’s the sort of thing that Alex would say in those days, sometimes in an officious voice and sometimes in a sing-song manner.

Burdyce Goode, Philosophy of Vegetables.

saying things repeatedly

Sophistication never seems to worry that it might be shallow.

Nigel Swarbrick, A Bootful of Nails.

weal and woe

“They will free all the words to flutter away,” insisted Theodore, “and then they will put the boot to us all.”

Corliss Archer, Boarding the Crazy Train.

hemming and hawing

Reshape  your  body.

Terence Theodore, Proverbs for a New Era.

bowl of light

At first, Annette seemed surprised to hear Jack’s nebulous conspiracy blather.  Later, though, she was seen drifting down the hall with a knowing smile on her delightful face.

Rhonda Carstairs, A Bad Case of the Whim-Whams and Other Stories.

another drunken spree

axe  of  kindness

Andrew Tertullian, Pandora’s Ponderous Puns.

shallow delusional hedonism

“A great deal of ruin.”  Alex spent most of the afternoon trying to formulate a sentence that contained this phrase.  A sentence pleasing to him, of course.

Anselm Bligh, A Collection of Miniatures.