B e a r

Gabrielle Jennings

Denning

Black bears in previously occupied dens

excavate under waterfalls

in hollow trees

in caves

Grizzly new dens

at the base of large trees

in sandy loam

in clay loam

in rocky silt

Dens consist of entrance       

short tunnel

chamber bedding       spruce boughs

duff

Teddy

1902 coal miner's strike

wintertime shortage

under governmental threat

union

and 

owners 

struck a deal

presidential vacation

Mississippi hunting trip

civil rights governor invitation

opponent

supported

lynching

hunting guide

former slave cavalryman

killed over 3000 bears

old, fat 235 pound black bear

chased into watering hole

cornered crushed injured hounds

guide wounded bear

save the kill

tie to tree

president refused to draw gun

guide put out of misery

compassionate gesture

became 

cartoon bear cub

teddy “drawing the line”

in sportsmanship, in civil rights

Seeing Eye Bear

INT. LOBBY - DAY

Lilly, staggering with her little bags, stumbles into the lobby first. Suddenly she screams.

...its short legs crossed while it rested its heels on a chair; it appeared to be reading a magazine... but

Lilly’s scream startled the pages right out of its paws...

LILLY’S POV

On the couch by the reception desk is a bear. It rises up on its hind legs and gives the bell on the reception

desk a terrible clout.

Not just a smart bear, we children thought: here was a Seeing Eye bear.

Frank decides to make an effort with the bear. He tries to grasp the bear’s right paw and shake it.

Standing up, the bear wasn’t as tall as any of us—

SUSIE

Keep your hands to yourself, kid.

She cuffs Frank’s arms apart with a swift, short blow.

LILLY

(screams)

The bear talks! The bear talks!

Then she dropped all semblance of bearlike mannerisms; she walked upright, and sullenly, back to

the couch—

Bear removes bear head, 

Natassja Kinski is underneath.

Knowing she was not a real bear suddenly made her appear larger; she 

took on new power before us.

Jodi Foster kisses Natassja Kinski.

“I feel safer with Susie,” she whispered. 

Bear Hug

bodylock a stand-up grappling clinch hold

dominant, easy takedown to back mount

used by Terrible Ted, a wrestling bear 

extremely close dancing

bump and grind

generous unsolicited takeover bid

violent icebreaker game

summertime clothes, animal collective

Sources

Denning: Biel, Mark J., Gunther, Kerry A. "Denning and Hibernation Behavior," 2006 https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/denning.htm

Teddy: King, Gilbert. "The History of the Teddy Bear: From Wet and Angry to Soft and Cuddly," 2012 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-history-of-the-teddy-bear-from-wet-and-angry-to-soft-and-cuddly-170275899/

Seeing Eye Bear: Irving, John. The Hotel New Hampshire, 1981. (book) Richardson, Tony. The Hotel New Hampshire, 1984. (screenplay and film)

Bear Hug: “Bear hug,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_hug