On the Line: Voice, Flower, Bird

▰ MOUTH OFF:

“The sound of our voices is born of our anatomy, the way we’re shaped inside — not just a skill but part of the physical self. The prospect of not being able to sing anymore felt like contemplating an amputation.”

The singer Dessa contemplates the loss of her voice in a New York Times essay. (Thanks, Rich Pettus!)

. . .

▰ FLORA AURA:

"Primroses may respond to sound — but that doesn’t mean that they 'hear' the way that we do. As Schlanger writes, they have a version of 'earless' hearing: 'Sound, to them, is pure vibration.'"

The Schlanger mentioned above is Zoë Schlanger, author of The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth, the subject of Rachel Riederer’s review in The New Yorker.

. . .

▰ BIRD BRAIN:

“The simple song of the cirl bunting is reminiscent of a sewing machine, or a hand-held scanning device from Star Trek.”

That’s the description of the Shriek of the Week this week. Crystal clear, as always.