NAPTITUDE

One of the things I am trying to do is make other choices. For instance, here I am in the final procrastination before I work on my resume and "pound the pavement" looking for work. I was about to play some solitaire while I listened to the Band (Music from Big Pink) and finished my post-morning-nap latte. I thought maybe I'd try writing instead, even though it takes both hands and more attention.

I've been reading again after a few weeks of mere desultory involvement. Even though I swore, as I usually do, not to look at the new books, cds, or dvds when I went to the Central Library to return a greatly overdue dvd of Women in Love (has anyone tried to watch that one lately? a difficult viewing experience but not without interest ... I had to stop and put it off for another time), I couldn't resist the call of serendipity. Turns out Sandra Gilbert of Madwoman in the Attic (co-authored with Sandra Gubar) has out a new book, Rereading Women: Thirty Years of Exploring Our Literary Traditions. I tried, reader, but could not resist. Fun reading for a brain that needs a bit of prodding.

Since I finished David McCullough's tome, The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, and not recommended  for all but the Parisphiles, I thought I would attack the motley crew of library books waiting on my bedside windowsill. I picked up A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear by Atiq Rahimi, an Afghani writer and filmmaker. I thought this was quite beautiful:

"...My grandfather used to say...at the time of death, before leaving the body, the soul flies into the heart. At this precise moment, the heavy burden of the soul crushes the chest, stifling speech and paralyzing the tongue."


Random notes:

I bought a can of Miller High Life beer, remembering that at one time it was my favorite inexpensive beer. I cannot drink it anymore.

An old boss/colleague and I have been in touch about his new venture. I might fit in to his need for some editorial/curatorial assistance. He showed me the white paper his team had written to get funding etc. I tried to read it. "Because particles are discrete, the diffusion of particles through a network require a sufficient initial distribution to expose underlying network topology." Huh? Actually, I did get it, but it required a few readings. And forget about trying to really understand all the equations. I might as well read some French.

Quite balmy out now. Mostly a lovely summer.