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"Leaping Leo" by Pat "Littledog" Ellis Taylor
+ What are your stereotypes of Dallas and how do they play into this story?
Having lived in Dallas for about 5 years, I can tell you that it wasn’t what I expected. In fact, it was less Texan than anywhere else in this state that I have lived. No ten-gallon-hats or big hair. Most of the people I met (and now maybe this was due to my own narrow interests) were Geeks, Goths and artistic Freaks. Few even spoke with any kind of accent. Everyone there DID love Chuck Norris, though.
Having lived in Dallas for about 5 years, I can tell you that it wasn’t what I expected. In fact, it was less Texan than anywhere else in this state that I have lived. No ten-gallon-hats or big hair. Most of the people I met (and now maybe this was due to my own narrow interests) were Geeks, Goths and artistic Freaks. Few even spoke with any kind of accent. Everyone there DID love Chuck Norris, though.
One thing I noticed was the palpable difference between Dallas County and Tarrant County. Dallas, both the county and the city, really kind of wanted to be New York. Downtown was ALL business and the sidewalks practically rolled up at 5pm – any nightlife was bound to cost you an arm and a leg just to PARK! Tarrant County was more laid-back. Sure, the people there knew they were part of the biggest Metroplex in Texas, and they did enjoy that fact, but they were more interested in enjoyment than business. The suburbs of Ft. Worth were very homey and clean with good schools, unlike some of the gang-filled areas around Dallas. Downtown Ft. Worth came alive on nights and weekends – the parking was free after 6pm and all weekend long just to entice locals and tourists into spending time and money there. Even the shopping districts were more geared to the working class. I enjoyed living in Tarrant County, but Dallas left me cold.
+ What does the story say about artists living in the "real" world?
Artistry is not a big commodity these days. Neither, really, is intelligence or hard work, but smart, hard-working folk can usually play the game well enough to make a living despite their assets and ethics. Artists tend to think they’re above all that, and so they starve.
+ What role does the biker-brother play in the story?
The brother is not only comic-relief, he’s the catalyst for change in the story – both by bringing the kid early and by inciting Leo to leave.
The brother is not only comic-relief, he’s the catalyst for change in the story – both by bringing the kid early and by inciting Leo to leave.
+ The biker-brother says, "Trisha stays calm through everything, she runs the show." What do you make of this statement?
I think it means that Trisha is the only really responsible one in the whole bunch. She takes care of everyone. She stays calm because no one else will.
I think it means that Trisha is the only really responsible one in the whole bunch. She takes care of everyone. She stays calm because no one else will.
+ The last line talks of Leo "unencumbered as light itself." Who is this Leo and why does he merit the title of the story?
I think perhaps that Trisha envies Leo. She’s as much his opposite as she is his peer. Both are artists who want more than they have, but she’s the one who’s really putting an effort into their basic survival. She has more needs to fill in order to survive than Leo does both because she is a woman and because she is a mother. His needs are few, and while it’s true that she is giving more to him than he gives to her, he can still survive without her better than she can without him.
I think perhaps that Trisha envies Leo. She’s as much his opposite as she is his peer. Both are artists who want more than they have, but she’s the one who’s really putting an effort into their basic survival. She has more needs to fill in order to survive than Leo does both because she is a woman and because she is a mother. His needs are few, and while it’s true that she is giving more to him than he gives to her, he can still survive without her better than she can without him.