This May, we’re focused on APPLES. What a weird, tempting fruit. Shiny skin. Juicy flesh. Reliant on a period of icy dormancy. Did you know planting an apple seed won’t yield a tree with the same apples? The seeds of an apple are a combination of its parent tree’s genetics and a different apple tree’s pollen, so you’ll end up with something new.
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Book Recs
Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente
This thriller (with a touch of fantasy) turns the Eden myth on its head. The writing itself is the star here. It’s accessible poetry, the language lyrical, lovely, and figurative, but just a hair shy of lush.
Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
I ripped through this 22-hour audiobook in three days. First off, props to the audiobook readers: This story was so well performed. Horror-wise, it’s a heavily character-driven narrative that hops from perspective to perspective. Slow burn, but high tension.
Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker
How to class this one? Horror-adjacent ghost story, maybe? The literary touch is so delicate, yet the theme about the struggle of self-discovery hits so incredibly hard. It was a quick, easy read, but with wisps of much more intense books like Just Like Home or Ghost Wall in the tone and self-exploration.
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
It’s subtle, but Hardinge has such gorgeous figurative language! The story stars a Victorian-era young woman trying to solve a mystery surrounding her father.
Oddities
Ghost apples – In winter of 2019, while pruning apple in freezing rain, a man captured several photos of what he dubbed “ghost apples.” Sometimes, when ice-encased apples rot away, the ice casing is left behind—the “ghost” of the fruit that once hung there.
(Photo credit: Andrew Sietsema)
Manchineel apples – It starts to rain. Spotting a tree, you run for cover. Your skin starts to itch . . .
This tree’s sap alone can have the effect of a chemical burn. Don’t get it in your eyes. Don’t inhale smoke from its burning logs. And definitely do not eat its fruit.
Podcasts
“Apple of My Eye” (S1, Ep. 6) from The Folklore Podcast covers all the apple lore you could possibly want. And oh, Mark Norman, be still my heart. I’m such a fan! This brilliant narrator is also a passionate UK-based folklore researcher and author.
History
“A Victorian Interest in Apples” – Apples were hot in the Victorian era. As grafting grew more popular, new varieties burst into being. Apples were all over cookbooks, which created a need for new kitchen appliances. Even plain apples as snacks necessitated pretty little knives.
Art
“Paul Cézanne’s Painted Apples” – In the late 19th century, Cezanne declared “with an apple I want to astonish Paris.” The French artist did exactly that, demonstrating his unique approach to painting 3D objects.
Tomoko Sato creates ornate carvings using (among other fruits and vegetables) apples. They’re as intricate as lace, tiny little masterpieces of precision. Click on the picture to check out her gallery in full.
What now?
Got any theme-related books that I missed? Hauntingly memorable art or games that feature this fine fruit? Heck, just a favorite apple or apple-related fact? Comment or message me anywhere! I’d love to hear about it.
If you’d like another list right away, check out some blogs from past themes: MUSHROOMS, CAVES, and HOUSES are three of my favorites. And if you’d like to catch the next list, subscribe to the Author-Oddity Newsletter.
