Title: Dhalgren

Date: December 1, 2009 2:49 PM

Category: reportages
Tags:

Dhalgren
Samuel R. Delany

First of all: Dhalgren is the last name of a

certain William: William Dhalgren. This
William was not a character in the book. At
least not a physical, real, legitimate
character.
It was one name in a list of names; and it was
the name that attracted the attention of the
main character, who had forgotten his name.
So, Kidd (as he was dubbed on arrival to the
city of Bellona) thought for a little bit,
that maybe this name was his name. But he
ended up remembering his name (first and
middle only) in the end, and William was not
it.
To title a book the last name of an inactive,
non-character is weird. It is the title! It is
what the book is called! The name of the
book . . .
This oddity is exemplary; very characteristic
of this super-strange book.

I barely know where to start . . .

How about with why I wanted to read this
particular book. The setting is post-
apocalyptic Bellona. The fictional city is
said to be one of the great United States’
most populous. Until it fell apart. Nobody
really knew how it started, but the city
caught fire, and stayed afire throughout the
entire book (a building here, a block there).
The great majority of the populace left (some
15% or so remain). The social system broke
down near entirely; electricity became
scattered and undependable.
And the rest of the United States just looked
the other way. No media coverage, no attention
at all was given to this devastated place. The
city was free to do, essentially, whatever it
liked.
This is why I wanted to read Dhalgren. It is
so similar to my novela-in-progress: Our New
Centers. That is: a landscape/city ravaged by
a catastrophic doomsday. How do people eat?
Where do they live? What social reality fills
the void?
In Dhalgren they do whatever they damn well
want. If you want to live in a particular
building, move in. If someone is living there,
kick them out, kill them if you wish.

In the prologue, William Gibson writes to the

effect: Dhalgren breaches certain agreements
between the reader and the writer, certain
expectations are blatantly ignored. When I
read that, I didn’t really know what he meant.
Now I am beginning to.
It is very difficult to explain. Part of it is
ellipsis - the omission from speech or writing
of a word or words that are superfluous or
able to be understood from contextual clues.
An amount of information is left out, turning
the book into a curious riddle; from small
exclusions in text prompting inference, to
huge concepts regarding the very structural
core of the story. This writing style is
curious, artistic, fascinating, and at times
addictive. Int his way, the book models real
life, which isn’t so cut-and-dried, or black
and white. Yes, the book is gray.
Moving on.

Dhalgren is blindingly radical. I concern

myself to have a relatively open mind, to be
relatively accepting of different opinions,
actions, and sentiments. I believe myself to
lead a unique life; unconventional, eccentric,
offbeat. Dhalgren made me feel like an
outdated, pickled prude. Like a senile,
antiquated goody-goody. It forced me to
redefine my ideas of morality, readjust my
levels of comfortability and acceptance.
Ironically (but not surprisingly) this book
was written in the seventies.
Sure, most of the outrageousness is due to the
sexual content. Very, very disturbing. From
under-age, to blades and blood. Homoeroticism,
and consensual gang-bangs. One time it was
fantasies concerning a dead boy. Yes,
intensely uncomfortable stuff. I didn’t even
want to write that last one. I haven’t been
able to tell anyone about that last one
either. I explain the homo-erotics, even
blades and blood stuff; but not that last one.
The kid was freshly dead. He had fallen down
an elevator shaft, pudding and jellied.
Now why would Samuel Delany want to write
about that? Because he appreciates it? Because
he wants to push the ‘envelope?’ Is he trying
to challenge contemporary ethics? Is he
writing about it, because the fact is: there
are people who do this sort of thing and they
so rarely have a place in mainstream fiction?
I do indeed wonder why.
I also wondered, quite often, why I kept
reading it. One reason I came up with is that
when I start something I nearly ’need’ to
finish it. Another is: if something exists, I
will experience it -at least once. But I think
the overarching reason is because of
everything else in the book.

The characters are so unusual; they feel real;

very unlike characters of a book. They often
are flawed, their motives are often obscured;
their lives are curious. The main character
-as I have mentioned- has forgotten his name;
he is at this moment sane, the next a nutcase.
His movements through the shattered cityscape
are fluid and smooth; that is his navigation
of the geography as well as his ascendency up
the social ladder. Seamlessly he meets the
right people, goes to the right place.
From Bunny -the transexual go-go dancer, to
Mr. Calkins -the city kingpin: operator of the
only media source in the city, The Times
newspaper, pioneer of the only bar (somehow
managing to ’sell’ beer for free throughout
the book), and founder of the temple, the
city’s center of religion.
All the kid gangbangers -called Scorpions-
with their holographic projections: frogs,
manticores, an amoeba-like thing, scorpions,
dragons, and birds (I believe Mr. Calkins to
be responsible for the equipment, though it
went unsaid).
Mr. and Mrs. Richards. Fascinating characters.
He goes off to work everyday and she plays all
domestic. ‘Work’ is a factory empty of people
and equipment; it’s just him, taking a paper
hither and thither until
the day is done. They live in a perpetual lie,
by choice. The deception keeps them sane. If
they could be called sane. Her laugh is too
overt -forced and feigned -disturbingly, sadly
demented. Their lives are humiliatingly
entertaining.
George Harrison. A huge spade (the often-used
term for a person of color) that had a
scandalous sex-scapade with an tiny, white
girl. Supposedly it was consensual, but who
knows, except June, the girl, the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Richards. Somehow it seems this
relationship is -to some degree- responsible
for the crumbling of the city; but again, it
isn’t said directly. Regardless, giant posters
of a buck-naked George are all over the city.
A church gives them out for free.

I think that about does it.

Following are short extractions of particular
interest. Some quotes conclude with a short
justification as to why I regard it.
And following that is a list of vocabulary
list; most are words I did not know, some are
words I consider especially appealing. Aside
from the obvious reason to keep a vocabulary
list (to learn new words and better understand
the written work) was to see if some of the
words might not be made-up. Granted, some of
the words I could not find in the dictionary
may have been incorrectly recorded (often in
candlelight, headlamp light, and other
dubiousnesses). Yet most I consider to be
invented.

QUOTES . . .
“The host winked at me through his sherry glass.”
a typically jam packed sentence: there are at least two
people; there is a social structure (that of host and
guest); the mood of the host; a beverage.
Pope couplet: “When Ajax strives some rock’s vast
weight to throw/
the line too labors and the words move slow.”
it is very difficult to say this fast. one is forced to labor
through it; I imagine this is some kind of
onomatopoeia which probably has a name: the way it
reads reflects the contextual situation

“Anxiety lost outlines beneath glittering fatigue.”

“Forks tick tin.”

I like the way that sounds.

“The bulletin board was a shale of notices and

pamphlets.”

“Swam up like a fish in a brown pool to meet the china

rim.”

“The sky had deepened to a color that could be called

blue.”
I am interested in color descriptions; this one
describes the color in a particularly odd way; ‘could’
be called blue.

“ . . . and not achieve even that.”

another loaded statement. the depth of the short
sentence says more than the words.

“Black against four-fifths black.”

“Belligerently nice.”
funny.

“Loudly wind walked away.”

I like the sound of this one too.

“Where a nerve spasm in the shin crumbles a city of

bone.”

“Where am I -but wouldn’t think: going?”

again: a thick sentence. poses the character as
thoughtful and contemplative with so few words.

“He told himself some other things too.”

the other things were not clarified, leaving the reader
to wonder.

“The street looked so wide -but that was because

there were no cars at either curb.”

“Some looters lingered, till the owners followed their

shadows into the night.”

“Kid looked at the large, lined knuckles and thought of

the cracks in the black earth.”
these were the knuckles of George. a unique
description of size, or bigness.

“Outside, the evening was purple grey; smoke blunted

the facades across the street.”

“The city absorbed the sound, returned no echoes.”

He pictured great maps of darkness town down before
more.”

“The street lamp pulsed and died, pulsed and died.

Black letters on a yellow field announced and
announced and announced: Jackson Avenue.”
I love the repetition.

“This is not what I am thinking. This is merely (he

thought) what thinking feels like.”

“I, I’m afraid, must guard my honour more jealously.”

by saying ‘I’m afraid,’ the character feels more
human, more thoughtful. aside from supposedly
needing to guard honour or what have you, the
character expresses (cleverly) her opinion.

“What a strange, marvelous, and marvelously

inadequate object.”
the object was a published book written by the main
character. that an object can be at once strange,
marvelous, and marvelously inadequate is surprising
and startling.

“I really want a drink very much.”

really and very together make a statement unusually
clear. but in a dazed way. any eloquence is lost due to
practical need.

“Kid decided: I’m being told, not asked, and said

nothing.”
what he was asked ended in a question mark, thereby
indicating to the reader that it was a question; but the
tone said otherwise. and instead of describing the
tone, the action of the character communicates it. the
question implied the information in a way that
sounded like a statement.

“Flames -or a dog- barked.”

to think of flames barking . . .

“I went out to sit on the steps and was working on

playing in my a poem.”
this one is great: the last chapter (150 or so pages)
was an incomplete journal. Often words were crossed
out and alternatives were provided. effectively, this
allowed the reader to read two, sometimes three
variations of one idea, that is written slightly different.
it created an insight into the editing process.
this sentence in particular though: not working on
-playing in- and not my -a- poem. wonderful.

“We must count ourselves lucky to have any

document at all.”
this was said about the unfinished journal, that is the
last chapter. what is funny is that samuel delany, the
author of dhalgren, had a character not finish a journal
(which samuel delany -in reality- did not finish).

“Who I wished looked something other than a

chocolate cow.”
again, giving information to the reader: that this girl
looks like a chocolate cow; but additionally supplying
the reader with an opinion, and as is typical, slyly
done.

“The late afternoon got lost in the days momentum.”

sounds familiar, as in every day familiar.

“Inside the upended jug, wine splashed like a small,

plum sea.”

“They regard her as their personal catastrophe, an

awesome delight.”

‘“No . . .?’ in a way that asked why I asked.”

often tonality is described. because you can ask
something in so many ways. I have heard that the
majority of meaning is lifted from how, not what is
said.

“From the edge, looking down, I couldn’t see where

any rubble had landed.”
not, ‘it was really deep,’ or ’so many hundreds of feet,’
but ‘I couldn’t see where . . .’ it is so deep, the
character couldn’t see the bottom.

“When the problem is anything as complicated as one

word spoken between two people, both suspecting
they understand it . . .”
one word. between two people. complicated.

“She grabbed his arm and yanked, not pulled,

yanked.”
verdigrised - (not found) verdigris - a bright bluish-
green encrustation or patina formed on copper or
brass by atmospheric oxidation, consisting of basic
copper carbonate

logy - dull or heavy in motion or thought; sluggish

annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand

obtuse - annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand

synopsizable - (not found) synopsis - a brief summary

or general survey or something; an outline of the plot
of a book, play, movie, or episode
Therefore: synopsizable is a graspable,
understandable, synopsis.

vapid - offering nothing this is stimulating or

challenging
inane - silly; stupid

affable - friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to

uvula - a fleshy extension at the back of the soft

palate that hangs above the throat.

banal - so lacking in originality as to be obvious and

boring

effeminate - (of a man) having or showing

characteristics regarded as typical of a woman;
unmanly

awry - away from the appropriate, planned, or

expected course

corollary - a proposition that follows from (and is often

appended to) one already proved; a direct or natural
consequence or result

tattle n. - gossip; idle talk

laudatory - (of speech of writing) expressing praise

and commendation

incisive - (or a person or mental process) intelligently

analytical and clear-thinking

acumen - the ability to make good judgments and

quick decisions, typically in a particular domain

penchant - a strong or habitual liking for something or

tendency to do something

convolved - roll or coil together, entwine

appellation - a name or title; the action of giving a

name to a person or thing

worsted - a fine smooth yarn spun from combed long-

staple wool

cordovan - a kind of soft leather made originally from

goatskin and now from horsehide

palatal rugae - (palatal - or or relating to the palate;

rugae not found)

jounce - jolt or bounce

plosive - denoting a consonant that is produced by

stopping airflow using the lips, teeth, or palate,
followed by a sudden release or air

belle - a beautiful girl or woman, especially the most

beautiful at a particular event or in a particular group

falsetto - a method of voice production used by male

singers, especially tenors, to sing notes higher than
their normal range

sagesse - (not found, but assumed a derivative of

sage)

hove - past tense of heave - lift or haul with great

effort

austere - severe or strict in manner, attitude, or

appearance; extremely plain, simple style; unadorned

caul - the amniotic (innermost) membrane enclosing a

fetus

elision - the omission of a sound or syllable when

speaking; the process of joining together or merging
things, especially abstract ideas

crenellated - provide (a wall of a building) with

battlements

apocopate - (not found) assumed derivative of

apocope - the loss of a sound or sounds at the end of a
word, e.g., in the derivation of curio from curiosity

incorrigible - (of a person or their tendencies) not able

to be corrected, improved, or reformed; could be
wrong, but I thought the word was spelled: incorrible,
thereby reforming the very word

coda - the concluding passage of a piece or

movement, typically forming an addition to the basic
structure

filigree - ornamental work of fine typically gold or

silver) wire formed into delicate tracery

intimating - imply or hint

ganglial - (not found) assumed correlative of ganglia -

a structure containing a number of nerve cell bodies,
typically linked by synapses, and often forming a
swelling on a nerve fiber; a well-defined mass of gray
matter within the central nervous system

monogram - a motif of two or more letters, typically a

person’s initials, usually interwoven or otherwise
combined in a decorative design, used as a logo to
identify a personal possession

hirsute - hairy

timbre - the character or quality of musical sound or

voice distinct from its pitch and intensity

demonstrably - clearly and undeniably

noncommittally - (of a person or a person’s behavior

or manner) not expressing or revealing commitment
to a definite opinion or course of action

lapped - overtake

dither - be indecisive

propitious - giving or indicating a good chance of

success; favorable

lucency - glowing with or giving off light

brocade - a rich fabric, usually silk, woven with a

raised pattern, typically with gold or silver thread

shebang - a matter, operation, or set of

circumstances; a rough hut or shelter

axletree - (not found)

zarf - (not found)

finion - (not found)

admiss - (not found) assumed derivative of admissible

- acceptable or valid, especially as evidence in a court
of law; having the right to be admitted to a place

chary - cautious or wary about the amount one gives

or reveals

newels - the central supporting pillar of a spiral or

winding staircase

runneled - (not found) assumed derivative of runnel - a

narrow channel in the ground for liquid to flow
through; as in the ground was runneled to allow water
flow

grave v. - engrave on a surface; poetic: fix

(something) indelibly in the mind

taffeta - a fine lustrous silk or similar synthetic fabric

with a crisp texture

jocularly - fond of or characterized by joking;

humorous or playful

op-art - a form of abstract art that gives the illusion of

movement with precise use of pattern and color, or in
which conflicting patterns emerge and overlap (WOW;
what a summation of the book)

recalcitrant - having an obstinately uncooperative

attitude toward authority or discipline

sadism - the tendency to derive pleasure, especially

sexual gratification from inflicting pain, suffering, or
humiliation on others; deliberate cruelty

doffed - remove (an item of clothing)

behoove - it is a duty or responsibility for someone to

do something; it is incumbent on

ineffably - too great or extreme to be expressed or

described in words; not to be uttered

sickled - (not found); less derived form sickle

rilled - (not found); assumed derivative of rill - a small

stream

dun - of a dull grayish-brown color; poetic: dark, dusky

swive-sticky - (not surprised) swive - have sexual

intercourse with

sunder - split apart

glib - (of words of the person speaking them) fluent

and voluble but insincere and shallow

antepenultimate - last but two words in a series; third

last
colophon - a publisher’s emblem or imprint, especially
one on the title page or spine of a book

clomping - walk with a heavy tread

iniquity - immoral or grossly unfair behavior

epaulet - an ornamental shoulder piece on an item of

clothing, typically on the coat or jacket of a military
uniform

ken - one’s range or knowledge or sight; know:

recognize; identify

catenary - a curve formed by a wire, rope, or chain

hanging freely from two points that are on the same
horizontal level

goalless - (not found) neat conjugation meaning to

have no goals

bawl - shout of call out noisily and unrestrainedly; a

loud, unrestrained shout

execrate - feel or express great loathing for

detestable - deserving intense dislike

aping - imitate; mimic

dull - lacking interest of excitement

mezzanine - a low story between two others in a
building, typically between the ground and first floors;

indistinguishable - identical; unintelligible

frivative - (not found)

decalcomania - the process of transferring designs

from prepared paper to glass or porcelain

waggle - move or cause to move with short quick

movements from side to side or up and down

cavalcade - a formal procession of people walking, on

horseback, or riding in vehicles

tepid - only slightly warm; lukewarm

plosh - (not found)

galleys - a printer’s proof in the form of long single-

column strips, not in sheets or pages

saprophytic - adjective of: saprophyte - a plant,

fungus, or microorganism that lives on dead or
decaying organic matter

tertiarily - (not found)

acrimonious - angry and bitter; typically of speech or a

debate
vulgarize - make less refined

villon - (not found)

inchoate - just begun and so not fully formed or

developed; rudimentary

garrulous - excessively talkative, especially on trivial

matters

annealing - heat (metal or glass) and allow it to cool

slowly, in order to remove internal stresses and
toughen it

agon - (not found)

conflagration - an extensive fire that destroys a great

deal of land or property

systolic - adjective of: systole - the phase of the

heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts and pumps
blood from the chambers into the arteries

diastolic - adjective of: diastole- the phase of the

heartbeat when the heart muscle relaxes and allows
the chambers to fill with blood

paucity - the presence of something only small or

insufficient quantities of amounts; scarcity

macadam - broken stone of even size used in

successively compacted layers for surfacing roads and
paths, and typically bound with tar or bitumen; a
stretch of road with such a surface

tenebrous - dark; shadowy or obscure

cornice - an ornamental molding around the wall of a

room just below the ceiling; an overhanging mass of
hardened snow at the edge of a mountain precipice

pongee - a soft and typically unbleached type of

Chinese plain-woven fabric, originally made from
threads of raw silk and now also other fibers such as
cotton, which are usually mercerized (mercerize - treat
[cotton fabric or thread] under tension with caustic
alkali to increase its strength and give it a shiny, silky
appearance

crenellation - the battlements of a castle or other

building

kapok - a fine, fibrous cotton-like substance that grows

around the seeds of the ceiba tree, used as stuffing for
cushions, soft toys, etc.

deliquesce - become liquid, typically during

decomposition

lability - noun-form of: labile - liable to change; easily

altered

blebs - a small blister on the skin; a small bubble in

glass or in a fluid
pip - a small shape or symbol

koth - (not found)

interlocutor - a person who takes part in a dialogue or

conversation

maudlin - self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often

through drunkenness

tarpaulin - heavy-duty waterproof cloth, originally of

tarred canvas; a sailor’s tarred or oilskin hat

interrogative - having or conveying the force of a

question

raddle - (not found)

raconteur - a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful

and amusing way

obliteration - destroy utterly; wipe out

catastrophe - an event causing great and often sudden

damage or suffering; a disaster

pleroma - the totality or fullness of the Godhead that

dwells in Christ; the spiritual universe as the abode of
God and of the totality of the divine powers and
emanations
monads - a single unit; the number one

dithyramb - a wild choral hymn of ancient Greece,

especially one dedicated to Dionysus; a passionate or
inflated speech, poem, or other writing

lope - run or move with a long bounding stride

jangled - make or cause to make a ringing metallic

sound, typically a discordant one

inflationary - or, characterized by, or tending to cause

monetary inflation

solipsism - the view or theory that the self is all that

can be known to exist

wheedling - employ endearments or flattery to

persuade someone to do something or give one
something; to coax or persuade someone to do
something

cognomen - an extra personal name given to an

ancient Roman citizen, functioning rather like a
nickname and typically passed down from father to
son; a name; a nickname

facile - (especially of a theory or argument) appearing

neat and comprehensive only by ignoring the true
complexities of an issue (typing this one my side-brain
was remembering conversations I have had about this
book; the response found was often facile); superficial
or simplistic

appellation - a name or title; the action of giving a

name to a person or thing

contrapuntal - in counterpoint

gilt - covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint

coleus - a tropical Southeast Asian plant of the mint

family that has brightly colored variegated leaves and
is popular as a houseplant

stickum - a sticky or adhesive substance; gum or paste

quorum - the minimum number of members of an

assembly or society that must be present at any of its
meetings to make the proceedings of that meeting
valid

referent - the thing that a word or phrase denotes or

stands for (the thing being referenced)

dubious - hesitating or doubting; not be relied upon;

suspect; or questionable value

cobbet - (not found)

eveninged - (not found) creative verb-form of evening

happening

ululation - howl or wail as an expression of strong

emotion, typically grief

bandy - (of a person’s legs) curved so as to be wide

apart at the knees; bowlegged

staunch to dictum - (staunch - loyal and committed in

attitude; watertight. dictum - a formal pronouncement
from an authoritative source; a short statement that
expresses a general truth or principle)

ersatz - (of a product) made or used as a substitute,

typically an inferior one, for something else; not real or
genuine

mussy - make untidy or messy; a state of disorder

italicized v. - (connotation not found) a physical thing

was italicized, emphasized

kelly - (not found)

ephemeris - a table or data file giving the calculated

positions of a celestial object at regular intervals
throughout a period; a book or set of such tables or
files

mawkishness - sentimental in a feeble or sickly way;

having a faint sickly flavor

Grand Guignol - a dramatic entertainment of a

sensational or horrific nature, originally a sequence of
short pieces as performed at the Grand Guignol
theater in Paris

tidewise (not found)

smithereening (not found) smithereens - small pieces

therefore smithereening is the active verb of small
pieces

alkahest - the hypothetical universal solvent sought by

alchemists

catalysis - the acceleration of a chemical reaction by a

catalyst

complicitous - (not found) assumed correlative to

complicit - involved with others in an illegal activity or
wrongdoing

penumbra - the partially shaded outer region of the

shadow cast by an opaque object; any area of partial
shade

interstices - an intervening space, especially a very

small one

trammeling - a restriction or impediment; I thought to

trammel was to stomp upon

apocryphal - (of a story or statement) of doubtful

authenticity, although widely circulated as being true;
unauthenticated
ripsawed - (verb form of ripsaw - a coarse saw for
cutting wood along the grain)

virgules - slash

variora - (not found) variorum - having notes by

various editors or commentators

bray out - (bray - the loud, harsh cry of a donkey or

mule; make a loud, harsh cry or sound)

fabulist - a person who composes or relates fables; a

liar, especially a person who invents elaborate,
dishonest stories

lucanae - (not found) lacuna - an unfilled space of

interval

adieu - goodbye

temper v. - serve as a neutralizing or counterbalancing

force to something; improve the hardness and
elasticity of by reheating them cooling it

pedantic - of or like a pedant - a person who is

excessively concerned with minor details and rules
with displaying academic learning

gall - bold, impudent behavior

foal v. - to giver birth to a foal (the subject however,

was human)
cullable - (not found) cull - select from a large
quantity; obtain from a variety of sources; reduce the
population by selective slaughter; select, choose, pick,
take, obtain, glean

attelets - (not found)

politesse - formal politeness or etiquette

sputum - a mixture of saliva and mucus coughed up

from the respiratory tract, typically as a result of
infection or other disease and often examined
microscopically to aid medical diagnosis

ellipsis - the omission from speech or writing of a word

or words that are superfluous or able to be understood
from contextual clues (very appropriate word to
describe the writing style of Dhalgren)

diminutive - extremely or unusually small

fetid - smelling extremely unpleasant

lability - liable to change; easily altered

sententious - given to moralizing in a pompous or

affected manner

exandrous - (not found)

exogenous - or, or relating to, developing from

external factors

onomai - anomie? - lack of the usual or ethical

standards in an individual or group

saran tube - (not found) saran - trademark from

polyvinyl chloride, especially as plastic wrap

accoutrements - additional items of dress or

equipment, or other items carried or worn by a person
or used for a particular activity; a soldier’s outfit other
than weapons and garments
runnel - a narrow channel in the ground for liquid to
flow through

luvastrine - (not found)

languorous - the state or feeling, often pleasant, of

tiredness or inertia

complines - a service or evening prayers forming part

of the Divine Office of the Western Christian Church,
traditionally said (or chanted) before retiring for the
night

vespers - a service of evening prayer in the Divine

Office of the Western Christian Church

lorikeet - a small bird of the lory family, found chiefly

in New Guinea.

borzoi - a large Russian wolfhound of a breed with a

narrow head and silky, often white, coat

slough - a swamp

eupeustic (not found)

journalese - a hackneyed (lacking significance through

having been overused; unoriginal) style of writing
supposedly characteristic of newspapers and
magazines

blaring - sound loudly or harshly

after all - in spite of any indications or expectations to

be contrary

affectation - behavior, speech, or writing that is

artificial and designed to impress; a studied display of
real or pretending feeling

dulpicitous - deceitful

fraught - filled with or destined to result in (something

undesirable)

correlative - having a mutual relationship;

corresponding

genitive - relating to or denoting a case of nouns and

pronouns (and words in grammatical agreement with
them) indicating possession or close association
phatic - denoting or relating to language used for
general purposes or social interaction, rather than to
convey information or ask questions, such as: hello,
how are you?

simulatable - (not found; assumed to be possible to

simulate)

fenestrated - provided with a window or windows

civet - a slender nocturnal carnivorous mammal with a

barred and spotted coat and well-developed anal
scent glands, native to Africa and Asia (I do wonder
how much contextual emphasis was intended to the
‘anal’ in the anal scent glands)

noumenal - a thing as it is in itself, as distinct from a

thing as it is knowable by the senses through
phenomenal attributes

stanchions - an upright bar, post, or frame forming a

support or barrier

labile - liable to change; easily altered

ell (an ell long) - a former measure of length

(equivalent to six hand breadths) used mainly for
textiles, locally variable but typically about 45 inches

abysms - a literary or poetic term for abyss

catenaries - a curve formed by a wire, rope, or chain

hanging freely from two points that are on the same
horizontal level

peripity - (not found)

entelechy - the realization of potential

vichyssoise - a soup made with potatoes, leeks, and

cream typically served chilled

logy - dull and heavy in motion or though; sluggish

dregged - (not found; assumed relation to dregs - the

remnants of a liquid left in a container, together with
any sediment or ground