George and Martha One Fine Day

Martha kicks ass on the tightrope, and George--like any other sentient being--feels moved to express his admiration. But he goes too far. "I could never do that," he says. "I'd freak out and fall."

Martha--suddenly self-conscious and terrified--begins to teeter and shake.

And George--newly aware that words sometimes have unintended consequences, and lives of their own--changes his approach. "I can see you love what you're doing, and you're bound to excel when you have a real passion."

Martha--now puffed-up--resumes kicking ass. She has a vote of confidence; this is all she needs.

So much of the George and Martha library is about measuring words; James Marshall seems to be saying, continuously, "It's entirely TOO FACILE to claim that honesty is always the best policy." This is quietly subversive, and it's profound.

And is there a dash of autobiography? I wonder if Marshall felt a bit overwhelmed by the instant success George and Martha enjoyed, and I wonder if he occasionally doubted his own ability to deliver new material (teetering on the tightrope). Just a thought. We'll never know.....

P.S. I'm on break for a bit. I'll likely publish stuff erratically. Have a good holiday! Back in early January.

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