Elsie the cat has a set of 120 buttons programmed with words. She uses them to lie, swear, apologise, express grief and frustration and love to her human, the author Mary Robinette Kowal, who talks about what's involved in learning to communicate via language buttons with companion animals. And animal behaviour expert Zazie Todd explains how animals might be interacting with human language. This is the first half of a two-parter: in the next episode, some talking dogs - and their humans - come to visit, and we hear about the kinds of things you find out about what your animal friend is really thinking, and how it changes the ways you communicate with other humans too. Find out more about the episode and read the transcript at theallusionist.org/lexicat1. Content note: this episode contains a few category B swears. To help fund this independent podcast, take yourself to theallusionist.org/donate and become a member of the Allusioverse. You get regular livestreams with me reading from my ever-expanding collection of dictionaries, inside scoops into the making of this show, and watchalong parties - coming up, we've got A Room With A View, Carol, Cold Comfort Farm and Hot Frosty. And best of all, you get to bask in the company of your fellow Allusionauts in our delightful Discord community. This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, with music and editorial assistance from Martin Austwick of palebirdmusic.com. Find @allusionistshow on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, etc. Our ad partner is Multitude. If you want me to talk about your product or thing on the show, sponsor an episode: contact Multitude at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by:• CATAN - Dawn of Humankind, the game that lets you experience the rise of early human societies. Buy it at Catanshop.com and use the coupon code ALLUSIONIST to get a 10% discount.• Audio Maverick, a new 9-part documentary podcast from CUNY TV about radio maven Himan Brown. Hear about the dawn of radio and Brown's remarkable career, via archive footage and new interviews with audio mavericks, by subscribing to Audio Maverick in your podcast app.• Home Chef, meal kits that fit your needs. For a limited time, Home Chef is offering Allusionist listeners eighteen free meals, plus free shipping on your first box, and free dessert for life, at HomeChef.com/allusionist.• Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running your online bailiwick. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist. Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is the Allusionist in which I Helen Zaltzman Scoop Languages Litterbox Today we are hearing from a cat and the human she communicates with using a system of buttons, each programmed with a word in English recorded by her human.
Earlier this year my husband Martin and I got to spend a couple of days with Elsie the cat and Mary Robinette Cowell the human at Mary Robinette's family home and we got to see and hear the human and companion animal communications for ourselves.
There's so much to talk about, but this is the first half of a two parter with lots more to come in the next episode, including a moment that shattered my heart into a thousand little bits.
Note the Allusionist is not affiliated in any way with any of the companies that sell communication systems to use with animals and I've not been paid to feature the people or animals that do use them.
I'm just interested in how and why they do it.
Glad tidings Tickets are on on sale now for the Allusionists 10th Birthday Live show at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver, BC on 12th of January 2025 at 2:00pm Love O Matinee.
We'll be performing the show souvenirs about friends and friendship, breakups and fonts and the history of the word ass plus some special material just for and about Vancouver.
There are still early bird discounts on tickets.
The early bird catches the discounts and there are group discounts so bring your retinue.
I've linked to tickets@theillusionist.org events content note there are some category B swears in this episode on with the show.
You look angry at these microphones Elsie.
Are you going to sniff all the things?
Elsie My name is Mary Robinette Kowal.
I'm a science fiction author.
I had a career as a professional puppeteer and I also have this cat that uses buttons to talk.
Her name is Elsie and we may or may not have her join us in the interview.
We'll find out.
Yes, she's not formally agreed to the interview, but she is in the room so we're going to see if she's up for it.
Yeah.
So how did you and Elsie first get into communicating with the buttons?