Agency character
Leafcutter
Writing & Narrative
Philosophy & Ethics
Brand & MarketingWho is Leafcutter in the Agency editorial?
Leafcutter is an ant, one of the two characters of The Nature's Masterpiece, the short story the author wrote for Issue.12. The story introduces him as a "Tiny Art Critique": he travels on the head of the turtle Mr. Godspeed, speaks in capital letters and believes he has found nature's true and only masterpiece in a flower.
In short
Leafcutter is a character of the Agency editorial: the ant of The Nature's Masterpiece, the short story of Issue.12, the edition about semiotics. He is not fond of walking, so he rides on top of the head of the turtle Mr. Godspeed and complains about the pace. He describes himself as a deep well of knowledge, oratory and good taste, and says "I was a famous art curator back in my time in the ant community". When he sees a flower he wants to live on it forever, until Godspeed makes him notice the bee in its centre and he stands paralysed in awe before a meaning deeper than what his eyes could see.
Key facts
- What is Leafcutter?
- An ant. The story says he pinched the turtle's eye with all the strength that an ant could possibly convey.
- Where does Leafcutter appear?
- Only in Issue.12, in the short story The Nature's Masterpiece, always next to the turtle Mr. Godspeed.
- What happens to Leafcutter in the story?
- He falls for the beauty of a flower, admits that time will wither it, and is left in awe when Godspeed shows him the bee and the flower exchanging pollen.
Who is Leafcutter in the short story of Issue.12?
The Nature's Masterpiece presents its characters in one line: The Leafcutter, tiny art critique, and Mr. Godspeed, chill nomad philosopher. They are two friends of the local fauna of the Amazon rainforest, artists within their own species and always uncomprehended. Leafcutter is the impatient one. From the top of Godspeed's head he yells that a turtle with that name is a living paradox, swears he would win a race against him, and calls himself the epitome of utility.
It is Leafcutter who spots the flower by the pond and, when the turtle does not stop, crawls down to pinch his eye. Before the flower he loses his words for the first time and announces a farewell: he will climb it and live in beauty and joy for the rest of his life. Questioned by Godspeed, he describes how the petals would dry out and the flower would end up in the ground, nurturing another living thing. Then he sees the bee, at first only as a fancy bee, and finally stands paralysed in awe.
What is the story of Leafcutter for in the edition?
Issue.12 is about semiotics and about exercising abstraction to find new meanings in an image. After the story, the chapter 12.2 says it was important because whoever deals with symbols needs to grasp universality and atemporality, and it ends with two questions for the reader about being attracted to what is superficial. In the story the other animals compare Leafcutter and Godspeed to Batman and Robin, to Han Solo and Chewbacca and to Mario and Luigi.
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.