In Lexicat part 1, we met the author Mary Robinette Kowal and her cat Elsie, and learned about how they communicate via a set of buttons programmed with words.
In part 2, two talking dogs, Bastian and Parker - and their humans, Joelle Andres and Sascha Crasnow - join us too, and explain how they discovered some very unexpected things about what their animal companions are thinking and feeling thanks to the buttons, and how they changed the ways they communicate with other humans too. And animal behaviour expert Zazie Todd gives us some tips for interpreting cats’ and dogs’ body language.
Hear/read Lexicat part 1 first at theallusionist.org/lexicat1, then gallop back here for part 2.
Content note: this episode contains mentions of Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and death - human and animal death. But no descriptions of death.
EXTRA MATERIALS:
Elsie lies to get a sandwich, does not lie about not enjoying Mary Robinette learning French.
Clever Hans the clever horse, albeit clever at reading his human’s physical cues if not actually clever at mathematics.
How dogs act/are trained and edited to look like they’re acting.
Some of you have already been asking about how to get started on using buttons with your companion animal; the Fluent Pet forums are quite extensive.
Since we met, Elsie has acquired more words, and is now using 124 words. Which is more than the minimalist language Toki Pona contains.
Go to theallusionist.org/events for information about the upcoming livestreams where I read A Christmas Carol, and the Allusionist's big 10th birthday live show.
And, to help fund this independent podcast, take yourself to theallusionist.org/donate and become a member of the Allusioverse. You get regular livestreams with me reading from my ever-expanding collection of dictionaries, inside scoops into the making of this show, and watchalong parties - coming up, we've got Carol, Die Hard and Cold Comfort Farm. And best of all, you get to bask in the company of your fellow Allusionauts in our delightful Discord community. Mary Robinette will be answering some questions in there next week.
YOUR RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
yarborough, noun: (in bridge or whist) a hand with no card above a nine.
Origin 20th century: named after an Earl of Yarborough,
said to have bet 1,000 to 1 against its occurrence.
CREDITS:
Mary Robinette Kowal is a writer, cohost of the podcast Writing Excuses, professional puppeteer, and multi-award-winning novelist. Her upcoming book The Martian Contingency is available to preorder; find her work at maryrobinettekowal.com. And see her videos of Elsie (and sometimes Guppy the dog too) using the buttons on her YouTube and Instagram.
Zazie Todd PhD is an animal behaviour expert and author of books including Wag, Purr, and her latest, Bark, the Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful or Reactive Dog. Find out more about her work at companionanimalpsychology.com.
Find Sascha Crasnow and her dog Parker here.
Find Joelle Andres and her dog Bastian here.
This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, on the unceded ancestral and traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Martin Austwick provided producetion and editorial assistance, and composed the music. Download his songs at palebirdmusic.com and listen to his podcasts Song By Song and Neutrino Watch.
Thanks to Erika Ensign, Scott Newman and Jenny Mills from On Air Festival, and Mary Robinette Kowal’s family Ken Harrison, Rob Kowal, and Jamie and Steve Harrison.
Find the Allusionist at youtube.com/allusionistshow, instagram.com/allusionistshow, TikTok @allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow, @allusionistshow.bsky.social… Essentially: if I’m there, I’m there as @allusionistshow. I’ll be posting some photos and videos from the time we spent with Mary Robinette, Elsie, Sascha, Parker, Joelle and Bastian.
Back in two weeks with the annual big box of bonus bits!
- HZ.
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