A word about the Metronome Leaves in The Foggiest Notion, only because there is (as usual) a musical connection. I started in crosswords as a proofreader, checking two words at a time, and was frequently struck by the image created by the juxtaposition of two seemingly random words.
Metronome Leaves was one such combination (as was Chameleon Realm, also in the book). The image of a tree of tiny leaves each ticking at its own tempo reminded me of Ligeti’s Poeme Symphonique, written for 100 metronomes
which, just like the tree at the end of The Foggiest Notion, slows down until only the slowest is left.
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