Stem and Leaf Plots

by Virginia Arthur

Eco-fiction is fiction in which real earth ecology is a major component of the plot such that it goes beyond just the setting. This is a lovely yet wry collection of eco-fiction short stories, part sheer pleasure, part humor, part grief and pain, part relentless social/political commentary, calls for change.

The Stories

A Strangler Fig (Ficus macrophylla) Grows in Eden
When a self-absorbed aging woman is pitted against a sprawling fig tree, who wins?

It's So Lovely to Live in the Country (A Constantly Repeating True Story)
It's so lovely to live in the country, as long you don't go outside.

All Forces Maligned (Driving Nora Home)
Short of a lightening bolt to Nora's head, just about all that is left 'from the universe', can anything bring these two sisters together?

Di Voce Quae Loquebatur de Ligno Caudis (The Voice That Spoke From the Stumps)
The cutting down of beloved trees results in epiphany, the grasping for life, in this young man.

Doe
An abandoned doe, an abandoned daughter.

Restoration Ecology
Fairy slippers do not equal her fairy tale, but she knew this all along.

Lame Duck
When a child tells you of suffering, listen.

Free the Teacher, Free the Child
Why do we adhere to a 400 year old 'model' of education that forces our growing children, our teachers, into chairs all day? Don't we love our boxes!

Bugged
Academia revealed—by a cloud?

Winter Girl
When comfort comes not from people, but from the earth.

About the title and cover: stem and leaf plots are a type of distribution table (similar to a histogram) used in statistics. The title and cover of the book are a play on this statistical method double entendre intended.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Environment

149 pages, ebook

First published November 17, 2020

About the author

In between hikes/trying to disappear in what is left of what we used to call the wilderness (now under the influence of climate change= dead and dying trees, dry lakes and ponds, fires), I am working on the next eco-fiction book.

Latest:

Stem and Leaf Plots. Ten Eco-fiction Short Stories (includes Winter Girl).

Enjoy (and review!).

https://books2read.com/u/3n880K

Thank you and be well, stay sane.

**********

Thank you for reading my work and leaving reviews.

La Dee Da

I am a (depressed) professional field biologist/ecologist of many years. (How can I not be?) I have worked all over the U.S. (including some fantastic field years in Alaska) and in some parts of Europe. Nearly every place I have worked has become ecologically more degraded if not destroyed.

*******

The question is if the human primate can survive the environmental destruction being caused by--the human primate. If this isn't the definition of absurdity, insanity, I don't know what is.

The human primate has no capacity to observe itself as a SPECIES. There is little to no reference in the media to "the human primate". Only the sub-variations thereof within which each seems to fight with the other for resources, recognition, money. Unless the human primate develops the capacity to assess itself, its behavior, AS A SPECIES, there is no hope. Then again, it may be a trap the human primate can never spring itself from due to biology.

The human species is failing in developing respect for its own planet, thereby threatening it's own existence. Why? I posit it is because the human primate is the only species on earth aware of its own mortality so it is inevitable this would affect human behavior=basically we are all consciously/subconsciously in a constant state of freaking out over our own pending deaths not to mention our life spans are relatively short: we are in a trap--and when will it spring shut? We have no idea, but it is the main driver of human primate behavior. Awareness of our death. It is our burden to bear.

Consider as well the current state of human evolution: still primitive regardless how sophisticated our methods for altering our environment are. All of our actions to invent, exploit, etc. are motivated by a still infantile desire for self-gratification within our OWN lifespans, this drive so strong, it overrides any real concern regarding the catastrophic implications of climate change and destruction of earth's biodiversity. (As a species, our capacity to care about future generations is near nil).

Add in an economic system that depends on narcissism, consumption, individualism, dovetailing into the biological realities of the human primate (sex, violence, and aging), and perhaps the pathetic course of the human primate as a species is inevitable. (Case in point: the incoming President of the United States).

Let's make one thing clear. We are not the "most intelligent species on earth" unless "intelligence" is defined as the capacity to destroy an entire planet. This is stupidity and arrogance, not intelligence.

We should be talking about these things but instead we careen blindly to get to the sale at Walmart to get that big flat screen T.V. We watch news about other people dying, and down that 3rd martini, anxiety driving us all mad, the most "civilized species on earth". So goes the "modern" human primate.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful collection of ten short stories with a plant-based connection drawing the collection together. I enjoyed every single story and author Virginia Arthur has a fun, quirky storytelling voice. A few of my favorites:

A Stranger Fig Grows in Eden
I adored this story. Rowena Favor is having an existential crisis and arguing with her real estate agent. She needs to sell her house, pronto, and can’t because she has a giant fig tree taking over her property and her life. She doesn’t want to spend the necessary money to repair the damage the tree has caused. She can’t find anyone to chop it down. I particularly loved the phone messages. This was a quirky, darling tale of a massive fig tree that becomes inexorably intertwined in a woman’s life and had some lovely lessons.

All Forces Maligned (Driving Nora Home)
I really enjoyed this story because of the complicated sister relationship and the rivalry presented.

Doe
This was a favorite! Will is a senior citizen who has come to live with his daughter and is struggling to find purpose in his life. He finds a young fawn who has gotten separated from its mother and together with two other people in the park, set up a round the clock feeding schedule. The animal lover in me adored this. I loved the ending as well.

Free the Teacher, Free the Child
This story was super short, but had plenty of snarky commentary for anyone who’s ever been in a classroom. As a former teacher, I especially enjoyed it. A good read!

[Samantha Henthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb collection for fans of planet earth. Ten stories, all with a natural world theme. For a long time now, I have wanted to read a story about man Vs planet, Virginia Arthur obviously has the knowledge and the talent to deliver this ten times.

'A Strangler Fig' is my favourite. The story is multi-faceted. Rowena's husband, Hugh leaves her a large amount of life insurance, the house, and a massive fig tree growing in their front garden. Hugh loved gardening, Rowena just wanted to go on holiday. I was so conflicted about Rowena's character (don't you just love that in a story). One minute I was annoyed with, the next I felt sorry for her. Wow, I was left feeling 'this should be made into a film', wondering if Hugh married Rowena because her name sounds a bit like 'Rowan tree' and thank goodness my fig tree is planted in a big tub!

Another favourite was 'It's So Lovely To LIve in the Country' this time, Virginia Arthur lends her sense of fun and satire. Phil and Phyliss want to move out to the country, as long as the house has a view. If only they had found out about the trees, if only they hadn't started making 'improvements' this is a clever allegory about green belt destruction.

Doe is a heartfelt story about animals bringing humans together, this story is a beautiful tearjerker with a happy ending (which you will have to work for, and rightly so).

Lame Duck is a story of family dynamics, first impressions and a child noticing things about birds that adults don't. I loved the end - and the reminder to listen to children.

They are all great, oh I loved Free the Teacher, Free the Child too but I won't go on, I wouldn't want a lengthy review to put anyone off reading this book. If you like those David Attenborough documentaries, or planet earth in general (that's all of us) I am recommending this book to you. These stories are not sanctimonious at all, far from it, I wouldn't have finished the book if they were. The narratives provide a unique understanding of both human nature and ecology.

[Robert Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stem and Leaf Plots
Author, Virginia Arthur, provides the reader with a working definition of Eco fiction with the selection of 'A Strangler Fig Grows in Eden' to begin this collection of ten short stories. At first blush, it feels like a spoof on the classic of American lit, 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,' but Arthur's story is not about a human character coming of age. In Strangler Fig, the humans crash and burn and only the tree endures. Eventually, it thrives. If the story has a protagonist, it is the strangler fig. It is the conflict between this fully developed character, the tree, and a brooding, deranged woman who has legal title to the earth in which it is rooted, that drives the story along its dark and convoluted path into a disturbing but logical conclusion.

And so it goes with the stories in this book. All ten are filled with passionate energy, evocative scenes, and dramatic conclusions. A constant theme pervades this work: Beware the humans. They can be dangerous.

The humans beings who can be trusted are the ones experiencing some kind of personal or experiential transformation. These are the characters who sometimes offer the reader a takeaway for remembering or even a glimmer of hope. These ten stories are full of the double-entendres, clever turns of phrase, and the humor of a writer, who enjoys the craft of writing. Her stories are remarkable and the book, memorable, and so I highly recommend to any thoughtful reader who enjoys the experience of being in nature. It's one of the best short story collections in my memory banks.

I have a suggestion, too, one that might work to expand the network of readers for this author's future works. At first blush, the title of this one, Stem and Leaf Plots, put me off. I wrongly assumed it was a textbook intended for a botany classroom which did not include me. I had to do the work of reading a few reviews to appreciate that this was actually a work of fiction. I've always been a reader of fiction. But, I might never have opened this delightful collection without seeing something in one of the reviews that tweaked my interest. Now, I even have an Ecopy on my Kindle.

[Kasey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the idea of putting together ten short stories surrounding eco-fiction--nature-oriented or environment-oriented--was lovely. I've become a fan of both fictional and nonfictional pieces having to do with the planet, whether it's how we're screwing things up (daunting!) or fixing them (hopeful!). So this sounded right up my alley.

The stories themselves are good ideas. They have really great bones. My favorite was "It's So Lovely to Live in the Country" because it's something I've witnessed happening, and I know constantly happens, especially out where I live in the woods. It spoke to me in a way that the others didn't--but that doesn't mean they weren't good too.

My only real critique is that a finer-toothed comb could have been used to edit this, but nothing is so egregious to detract from the nature and heart of the book. Definitely recommend to others who are looking for an enjoyable, easy read.

[Virginia Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, it's my book so three guesses. I can attest that anyone who thinks writing a book of short stories is easier than writing a novel has never written a book of (quality) short stories. To me, each one was like writing a novel, tremendous investment that included a lot of sleepless nights and well, of course, substantial investment in pizza and beer. Reviews always appreciated (of the book).

[Juliet Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Stem and Leaf Plots are a type of distribution table used in statistics, the cover and title of this book are a play on this).

This collection from Virginia Arthur explores the relationship between humans and nature. Stories look at issues such as the mental health benefits of spending time in nature, conflicts between housing and wilderness and recreation vs nature conservation in wildlife areas. Despite focussing on such weighty topics, the stories are engrossing tales, moving, amusing, enraging and hopeful in turn.

My favourite is the heart warming Doe. Will has retired and moved in with his daughter and son in law. One day while walking on a trail nearby he has a wonderful encounter with a young deer and meets two other lonely people and together they bond over looking after the fawn. It's a lovely story of how caring for nature can bring people together. Lame Duck is similar in theme. Brady, a 6 year old boy leads an expedition to save an injured goose in a local park and ends up changing the lives of those around him and as a result his home situation improves immeasurably.

A Strangler Fig (Ficus macrophylla) Grows in Eden is notable for featuring an older female protagonist (as does Arthur's novel Treed). Rowena is an angry 68 year old in battle against a large tree on her property that threatens to destroy the pavements, it's a story about ageing, regrets and the persistence of nature. Restoration Ecology also focuses on the persistence of nature. Mira, a grad student at a botanical garden working on lady slipper orchids revisits her study plot of wild orchids 30 years on, will there still be any orchids?

It's So Lovely to Live in the Country (A constantly repeating true story) outlines one couple's war against nature to try to make their rural home 'perfect', representing an all too depressing reality in many places. All Forces Maligned (Driving Nora Home) also highlights the disconnect many people feel with nature. At heart it is about two very different sisters, nature loving Carole and her older sister Nora, who is indifferent to nature, their relationship going under the microscope as they go on a short road trip together. Their different attitudes to nature are summed up in this exchange:

'Walking down the dirt drive to the truck, Carole remarked, "there's nothing wrong with the spiders. In fact, from the casts they leave behind, Rob and I calculated they kill at least 30 insects a week."

"Oh God," Nora carped. "Please stop." Nora continued her conversation with the windshield. "You and Rob need to get out more. You sit around and count dead bugs." She scoffed.

Leaning down into the open window to look at Nora, Carole continued, "the spiders help control the bugs, Nora. We--"

"So does RAID."

"I'll take the spiders."'

Bugged is an entertaining story of rivalry that extends beyond the grave. A dead entomologist leaves an address to be read at his funeral in which he compares his family and his biggest academic rival to various insects. It's a neat way to draw comparisons (both positive and negative) between human nature and insects and to make the latter seem more relatable to people who would normally overlook them.

Arthur justifiably tends towards a dark view of the current state of the human relationship with nature but balances that with an optimistic view of how we can still turn things round. These stories are readable and thought provoking.

[Martin Dolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

STEM AND LEAF PLOTS, a book of 10 eco-fiction short stories by Virginia Arthur, each of which tells with delightfully ironic humour how so many of us are going all out to deface our planet:
1, A STRANGLER FIG GROWS IN EDEN tells of a giant fig tree growing in the yard of a rather nasty lady, and which disrupts the life of its owner, the city, and even the internet.
2, IT`S SO LOVELY TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY explains in great detail exactly what not to do when moving to the country to enjoy a more traditional rural view.
3, in ALL FORCES MALIGNED, two sisters sort out their differences while driving along a road ensconced in California chaparral.
4, DI VOCE QUAE LOQUEBATUR DE LIGNO CAUDIS: herein `The voice that spoke from the stumps` pretty much says it all.
5, In DOE, a young fawn helps an old widower, his bossy daughter, her no longer tolerant husband, as well as a homeless Afghanistan veteran and a part-time bakery worker manage to put their lives together.
6, RESTORATATION ECOLOGY: a mixture of hope and disappointment in checking up on a horticultural project that also included an unpleasant love affair some 30 years earlier.
7, In LAME DUCK, which is actually a goose, a six year old boy finds love. This is my favourite story, although I might have enjoyed it even more, had the dialogue been a bit cleaner.
8, FREE THE TEACHER, FREE THE CHILD Here a parent and teacher clash over the State mandated curriculum which neither of them really approve of.
9, BUGGED An entomologist`s funeral seems to have a lot of them.
10, WINTER GIRL Yes, she certainly is that.

[Shey Saints · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary

Stem and Leaf Plots is a collection of 10 eco-fiction short stories by Virginia Arthur. The author expressed her love for mother nature by capturing its essence through a set of stories that build around human relationships with the environment.

Review

This book is so unique! I have never read anything like it before. The stories revolve around the elements of nature, making them the main lead or center of story, rather than the human characters. I think the author not only expressed her wide imagination through such unique collection of prose, but also instilled good life lessons and realizations.

Hence, I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a good representation of nature’s significance in the human world, told through a variety of unique stories that draw different emotions. I recommend this to readers who want to try something different and creative.

[Susan O.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I only joined Net Galley to review this book after receiving a new release notice from the publisher. I am already a fan of Virginia and have read all her other books, each of which left me with a "well how about that" kind of feeling, like, someone understands my world. But I was particularly tickled by the cover which is exactly what I wanted to teach my students about--a stem and leaf plot, or how to make a histogram. I teach science. For those that do not know, they will likely never get it (someone didn't who voted down the cover) but for those of us in science and math, we will get it, just how much thought Virginia put into the cover and how difficult it is for our society to understand anything integrated, or truly ecological. I heard her being interviewed and she spoke of trying to list her book under the categories of science, ecological science, and fiction and she is never allowed to do this I guess with where she sells and lists her books. It has to be fiction OR non-fiction. She is not allowed to list under both. This says a lot about what she is trying to do. I think it is completely authentic and interesting. Regarding the stories, they are the same. I could write a review for each one but will try to just summarize. I got emotional over each one but for different reasons but understand, these are not 'light-hearted' nature tales. These stories are full of pain, pain of the human beings, things they are working out, and pain over what is happening to the planet. I can't even put my finger on why it works but it works. Fig is very very sad. It seems like it would be funny, a confused old woman and a giant fig tree. She cannot sell her house because the damage to the sidewalk in front of her house is so bad. Her husband planted it decades before. There is a part in this story where you wonder if he planted it knowing it would haunt her later in life. It made me cry. You kind of hate her then learn there is 'more to the story' then you feel sorry for her. Country is appropriate if you live somewhere where people move to the country then mow everything down, kill everything. Since we see this where we live, it's not really a funny story. It's a true story like Virginia says, and it's everywhere. People are ignorant about nature even if they think they want to live in it. Forces really happened I guess in some ways in an interview I read. It is about the younger sister driving the older and supposedly wiser sister home. Their careers overlap and the older sister is threatened by the younger sister. They are driving through the mountains in Southern California and the nature part comes in when the younger naturalist sister wants to look at some flowers. Along the way there are all these coincidences that the older and wiser sister tries to ignore. There is a lot of tension just reading this story. I can't imagine when it happened. I hope they both came out alive. I was not sure if things between them were resolved at the end or not but it seems like it. In Stumps, the main character is surrounded by tree stumps and Virginia ties this into his failed marriage. Doe was my favorite. An aging but still strong and healthy father moves in with his daughter and her husband. He can't stand it. By accident he starts taking care of a doe in a local park and then all kinds of crazy things happen. I found myself liking Rodney, the Iraq War vet, so much. Made me think about the vets I see around town, many too strong to accept any help. The good thing is this story has a happy ending which I needed. Restoration took my breath away (especially when she is young and comes home from her celebration). The story revolves around the fragile and rare fairy slipper orchid. I thought it was interesting that in this story, the main character equates hope (that they will still be wild on the land that she knew) with heroin. She hates herself for having any. This story is rich. Lame Duck has a happy ending after so much intensity in the story. It is the story of a poor troubled single mom with two kids from two different fathers. There is a huge age difference. The older daughter is resentful. A (what they think) older annoying man, their neighbor, changes their lives forever and it all revolves around a DUCK or is that a goose? It's also a very sweet love story. It just carried me away. I did some fist shaking at Free the Teacher (yes! yes!). Absolutely loved this one and yes, agreed! Binders, binders, binders. I won't miss these. In the story Bugged, a dying entomologist gives each member of his family and a few friends, "their insect"; the insect that reminds him of them and the whole time he is being harassed or I guess, "bugged" by an arrogant jealous colleague (I can relate). It's quirky and funny but again, sad because this is all revealed at his funeral, after he has died. Winter Girl is a lonely story about a young girl trapped in the snowy woods for a night after her "boyfriend", the jerk, abandons her on the side of the road. It does have a sadly happy ending though. (I think I am using the word sad too much. They're not sad as much as realistic). In all the stories, the natural world is as much or more the main character than the humans. I just sat for a few minutes after I finished the book. Sat and thought. I think Virginia is an amazing writer flying under the radar. She shouldn't be. These stories are all unique and memorable. This is a book of stories I will read and think about again. They will stay with you.

[Kasi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: This review is being written about a month after I have finished reading this.

I was so intrigued by the description of this ebook. I wish I had the same enthusiasm that other reviewers have had. However, I am starting to realize how important it is for me to have something that is written properly - proper writing mechanics and structure. I am so turned off by writing that doesn't follow basic writing rules (e.g. paragraph structure when writing dialogue) and it really distracts me from enjoying the story. Unfortunately, this book was full of these types of errors and I had a really hard time getting into the stories because of this. I also just wasn't pulled into the characters, their stories, their journeys, or the themes in the way that I had really been hoping I would. Maybe this just isn't my style.

I think the ideas are there and they are important. I think if the author polished this up and did some editing, it could go a long way to make it much more accessible for the readers.

Thank you to the author and Voracious Readers Only for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Edit (August 2024): I find it pretty amusing that the author felt the need to insult me. I got a copy of her writing from Voracious Readers Only - where a complimentary copy is given for reviews. Not sure why an author felt the need to insult her reader who was providing her with a review - exactly what she asked for… especially since I’m pretty sure I was diplomatic and kind. Whatever.

[Terry Birdgenaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Green with Empathy for our planet.
Stem and Leaf Plots is a punny title for a collection of short stories about nature and environmental consciousness. Virginia Arthur’s stories are extremely well-written and knowledgeable. The oft-times humorous and sentimental eco-fiction espouses the benefits of nature, including how children learn from animals, how nature can be a friend to the lonely, and the ever-pressing battle between deforestation vs. green space. Enjoyable and short reading, these stories will delight you and capture your imagination. There is something to learn in every heartwarming tale. Highly recommended for those who care about our world!