E is for Enormous

         Welcome to the April A to Z Blog Challenge of 2026!  You’ll notice I’m running ahead, but if you want to stick with the proper schedule, you can find my Post for A here.

        (My A to Z Blog Challenge theme this year is Beyond Pomegranate & Thorns, my collection of short stories, poems, and art inspired by fairy tales, myths, and folklore that will be released on April 20.  All through the month I’m sharing excerpts, as well as some reflections on the power of the traditional stories that inspired me.)

        “The Enormous Turnip” is a Russian folktale first recorded in 1863, although variants exist in other places.  (Don’t know it?  You can read it here.)  This is one of the stories that’s represented in my book only by the artwork (and a little comment) and not by a full story or poem.  It’s a charming folktale and in this case my artwork is a fairly straightforward illustration without re-imagining anything substantive.  I just love stories about cooperation!  Still, I did have fun on the circular composition of all the people and animals that have to help pull on the turnip before it can be yanked from the ground.

        The one thing that this story does lead me to wonder is what interesting things they might be able to do with a turnip this large.  Certainly they could feed a village, but hollowing out the middle would provide more than enough mashed turnip for meals while still leaving material for some other purpose.  Perhaps they could make it into a house, or if it’s not quite big enough for that, how about carving it into a pair of dugout boats, or using it as a dome atop their town hall, or maybe a bus shelter?  Any other ideas?

        The moral of the enormous turnip is that if you have a green thumb of this potency you’d better choose wisely what you plant.

        Also, the contributions of even the smallest members of the community are important, and we accomplish the most when we all work together.

        Speaking of community, would you like to join an on-line, world-wide community of authors sharing their work with readers?  I invite you to check out Strong Women-Strange Worlds, the place for free, twice-monthly live, on-line readings by women and non-binary authors of sci fi, fantasy, and speculative horror.  Each event features 6 authors reading excerpts of their own work – just enough to get the flavor.  Consider it a tasting menu of speculative fiction delight!  The audience can interact with the authors and each other in the chat throughout the readings, and there’s an opportunity for Q&A with the authors at the end.  I’ll be one of those reading in the May 1 event alongside some truly amazing authors, and I’ll be presenting something from Beyond Pomegranate & Thorns, although I haven’t yet decided what.  I’d love to see some of my A to Z peeps in the audience.  Check it out: it’s

free, it’s from the comfort of your own home (or lunch break at work), and it’s a wonderful respite from doom-scrolling.  Find all the details, upcoming author panels, and links to register here.

        Okay, after that PSA, let’s get back to the Enormous Turnip.  Do you have a green thumb?  Have you ever had a gardening adventure that exceeded expectations?

 

[Picture: The Enormous Turnip, rubber block print by AEGNydam, 20 (Image from Beyond Pomegranate & Thorns).]