Comments on: The Heroism Of Colonel Pussy http://sumitsays.com/2009/06/26/the-heroism-of-colonel-pussy/ Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:15:26 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: karen from mentor http://sumitsays.com/2009/06/26/the-heroism-of-colonel-pussy/comment-page-1/#comment-237 karen from mentor Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:47:40 +0000 http://s238191245.websitehome.co.uk/?p=3#comment-237 Hi, This is the first time I've been in to visit. I love the look/feel of your page. The title hooked me and the story did the rest. Very nice writing style. Thanks for sharing. Karen :0) Hi,
This is the first time I’ve been in to visit. I love the look/feel of your page.
The title hooked me and the story did the rest.
Very nice writing style.
Thanks for sharing.
Karen :0)

]]> By: squarepetal http://sumitsays.com/2009/06/26/the-heroism-of-colonel-pussy/comment-page-1/#comment-236 squarepetal Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:43:34 +0000 http://s238191245.websitehome.co.uk/?p=3#comment-236 Cats! Heroic war story! What a totally nuts idea to put these together and I'm astounded that I could enjoy and laugh out loud at such an endeavor! Great characterisation of Pussy and the narrative moves with the action and style of a classic WW2 black and white movie. I haven't seen enough of these to be aware if you were referencing one in particular - I thought maybe you were here: "There's no going back now. The dreamer no longer believes." His icy blue eyes were dispassionate, but his drooping ears told of his real feelings. " From now on, it's for real. Everything is for real." Kind of reminded me of the dramatic emotionally charged dialogue in Casablanca. I love the characterisation through the intense close up description of Pussy downing his milk and his catly gestures. So many great lines - Matt enjoyed it too - I watched his face as he was reading it and he was chuckling and moved to concern in all the same places. Your writing in this clever anthropomorphisation keeps your tactile (sensual!- can't use this word uh!) style. Hooray! Cats! Heroic war story! What a totally nuts idea to put these together and I’m astounded that I could enjoy and laugh out loud at such an endeavor! Great characterisation of Pussy and the narrative moves with the action and style of a classic WW2 black and white movie. I haven’t seen enough of these to be aware if you were referencing one in particular – I thought maybe you were here: “There’s no going back now. The dreamer no longer believes.” His icy blue eyes were dispassionate, but his drooping ears told of his real feelings. ” From now on, it’s for real. Everything is for real.” Kind of reminded me of the dramatic emotionally charged dialogue in Casablanca.

I love the characterisation through the intense close up description of Pussy downing his milk and his catly gestures. So many great lines – Matt enjoyed it too – I watched his face as he was reading it and he was chuckling and moved to concern in all the same places. Your writing in this clever anthropomorphisation keeps your tactile (sensual!- can’t use this word uh!) style. Hooray!

]]> By: Chance http://sumitsays.com/2009/06/26/the-heroism-of-colonel-pussy/comment-page-1/#comment-235 Chance Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:36:56 +0000 http://s238191245.websitehome.co.uk/?p=3#comment-235 Scramble! I enjoyed this story, it also bought back some childhood memories - good stuff. Scramble!

I enjoyed this story, it also bought back some childhood memories – good stuff.

]]> By: Laura Eno http://sumitsays.com/2009/06/26/the-heroism-of-colonel-pussy/comment-page-1/#comment-233 Laura Eno Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:11:13 +0000 http://s238191245.websitehome.co.uk/?p=3#comment-233 Kitler! Fun story. Kitler! Fun story.

]]> By: SimplyOlivia http://sumitsays.com/2009/06/26/the-heroism-of-colonel-pussy/comment-page-1/#comment-232 SimplyOlivia Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:13:45 +0000 http://s238191245.websitehome.co.uk/?p=3#comment-232 This is imaginative and well-written. It reminded me of the story of the Velveteen Rabbit, except with, um, pussy. When I read your comment afterward, my response was "OHHHhhhh, I get it." Knowing a little back story, in this case, would have made me connect more quickly with the story. Also, using Colonel Pussy as your main character's name and in the title is a daring move, but I found it a tad confusing. Reading your comment afterward cleared it up somewhat, but during the course of the story, I could not figure out if you were trying to be ironic or clever with word play. The story of the artist is really fascinating and an amazing twist. It's really true that truth is stranger than fiction. Thanks for sharing. This is imaginative and well-written. It reminded me of the story of the Velveteen Rabbit, except with, um, pussy. When I read your comment afterward, my response was “OHHHhhhh, I get it.” Knowing a little back story, in this case, would have made me connect more quickly with the story. Also, using Colonel Pussy as your main character’s name and in the title is a daring move, but I found it a tad confusing. Reading your comment afterward cleared it up somewhat, but during the course of the story, I could not figure out if you were trying to be ironic or clever with word play. The story of the artist is really fascinating and an amazing twist. It’s really true that truth is stranger than fiction. Thanks for sharing.

]]> By: Marisa Birns http://sumitsays.com/2009/06/26/the-heroism-of-colonel-pussy/comment-page-1/#comment-231 Marisa Birns Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:49:46 +0000 http://s238191245.websitehome.co.uk/?p=3#comment-231 Bittersweet, humorous, enjoyable. Loved the getting the cream and the canary line! Also Kitler! Very imaginative...well done. Bittersweet, humorous, enjoyable.

Loved the getting the cream and the canary line! Also Kitler!

Very imaginative…well done.

]]> By: Helen C http://sumitsays.com/2009/06/26/the-heroism-of-colonel-pussy/comment-page-1/#comment-230 Helen C Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:29:40 +0000 http://s238191245.websitehome.co.uk/?p=3#comment-230 Oddly moving and surreal - really enjoyed this! Oddly moving and surreal – really enjoyed this!

]]> By: Dave Gullen http://sumitsays.com/2009/06/26/the-heroism-of-colonel-pussy/comment-page-1/#comment-145 Dave Gullen Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:38:19 +0000 http://s238191245.websitehome.co.uk/?p=3#comment-145 Nice. Half way through I wondered where this was going and then you changed it all around and the story of flash, shallow Colonel Pussy acquired depth and resonance, and reached out into the real world. Nice. Half way through I wondered where this was going and then you changed it all around and the story of flash, shallow Colonel Pussy acquired depth and resonance, and reached out into the real world.

]]> By: Sumit Dam http://sumitsays.com/2009/06/26/the-heroism-of-colonel-pussy/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Sumit Dam Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:19:21 +0000 http://s238191245.websitehome.co.uk/?p=3#comment-27 <em>No hero is immortal til he dies.</em> -- W.H. Auden Colonel Pussy was the imaginary friend of <em>my</em> (real) best friend when he was five or six. He did wear an US Army uniform, drive a Jeep and marched up and down the playground tirelessly; the rest is my invention. I remember being a little jealous both of Colonel Pussy's intangible but inarguable claim on my friend's attentions and of my friend's ability to call on the Colonel to keep him company at any time. Growing up as an only child, there were times when I really could have done with an imaginary friend of my own, but I never managed to sustain my belief in one. Maybe with this story I've got a measure of revenge. The picture for this story is "Entrenched (A message from Tommy (C)atkins at the Front)" by the artist Louis Wain. Wain, born in 1860, started out as a naturalistic sketch artist, but became famous for his pictures of anthropomorphised cats: promenading, taking tea, <a href="http://www.lilitu.com/catland/gallery.shtml" title="Pictures from around the time of Wain's Catland series" rel="nofollow">that kind of thing</a>. Unfortunately, Wain was diagnosed as schizophrenic in 1917; he fell into poverty and was institutionalised from 1924 until his death in 1939. The progress of Wain's illness seems to have been mirrored remarkably by his art, which become more and more <a href="http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/nbb421/student2003/epl8/Blank%20Page%202.htm" title="A gallery showing the range of Wain's artwork" rel="nofollow">eerie and abstract</a> until they become little more than intricate, geometric and vaguely feline patterns. (There's some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wain#Mental_illness" title="Wikipedia on Wain's mental illness" rel="nofollow">controversy</a> about both the diagnosis and progression of Wain's condition.) The cause of schizophrenia, and particularly of late-onset cases like Wain's, remains mysterious. <a href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=infected-with-insanity&print=true" title="Infected With Insanity" rel="nofollow">One theory</a> implicates the protozoan parasite <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em>, which is present in up to forty percent of all people. It's carried by cats. No hero is immortal til he dies. — W.H. Auden

Colonel Pussy was the imaginary friend of my (real) best friend when he was five or six. He did wear an US Army uniform, drive a Jeep and marched up and down the playground tirelessly; the rest is my invention. I remember being a little jealous both of Colonel Pussy’s intangible but inarguable claim on my friend’s attentions and of my friend’s ability to call on the Colonel to keep him company at any time. Growing up as an only child, there were times when I really could have done with an imaginary friend of my own, but I never managed to sustain my belief in one. Maybe with this story I’ve got a measure of revenge.

The picture for this story is “Entrenched (A message from Tommy (C)atkins at the Front)” by the artist Louis Wain. Wain, born in 1860, started out as a naturalistic sketch artist, but became famous for his pictures of anthropomorphised cats: promenading, taking tea, that kind of thing. Unfortunately, Wain was diagnosed as schizophrenic in 1917; he fell into poverty and was institutionalised from 1924 until his death in 1939. The progress of Wain’s illness seems to have been mirrored remarkably by his art, which become more and more eerie and abstract until they become little more than intricate, geometric and vaguely feline patterns. (There’s some controversy about both the diagnosis and progression of Wain’s condition.)

The cause of schizophrenia, and particularly of late-onset cases like Wain’s, remains mysterious. One theory implicates the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is present in up to forty percent of all people. It’s carried by cats.

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