Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Eulogy to Saffron

One of my newly favorite-est writers on the internet is Elatia Harris, who writes at our friends' place, 3 Quarks Daily. I previously linked to her fine essay on Japanese art. Now, Monday's essay continues a series she's been doing intermittently on her love for saffron. Elatia writes beautiful eulogies without a hint of the pomposity sometimes accompanying the form. These are subtle, lovely essays in praise of the intricacies of fine substances and objects often at the margins of our lives.

1 comment:

Elatia Harris said...

Helmut, thank you for reading and linking. Whenever one posts 8,000 words on a flower part, it does occur to one that readership may be particularly light. I am so happy to know you didn't give it a miss. I may leave saffron alone for a few months now, but I have yet to consider its history as a dye or a fragrance -- that's 4,000 years of use right there -- and have only tangentially considered it as a medicine. It has, as well, esoteric applications to Christianity -- like most precious substances. So I am deeply encouraged that you are reading.