An emotional sitrep. I pass the halfway point in a lengthy novel I'm reading. I finish one book of comics and start in on another. I watch an animated television special and a very good feature film.
This past month (October+) has been incredibly challenging and intensely devastating on so many levels for so many people. And yet somehow your piece here offered both an acknowledgment of the deeply worrisome moment we collectively find ourselves in (re the unfolding conflict in Israel and Palestine and the increasing anti-semitism at-large that I hope we can all begin to see more clearly and address more courageously), along with the delight and balm of reading and experiencing literature and film—both in solitude and in the shared and/or imagined company of and with others.
Thank you for writing and sharing this piece at this moment, and for the reminder that life—with all of its layers of light and dark—is simultaneously unfolding all around us and within us, offering both its beauty and its terror (as Rilke knew so well). DQ is a champion of so many things—courage and a good sense of humor in the face of absurdity seem to be the threads that I most admire, both of which you brought to life so well here. And as for the film, really enjoyed reading your generous take on it.
This past month (October+) has been incredibly challenging and intensely devastating on so many levels for so many people. And yet somehow your piece here offered both an acknowledgment of the deeply worrisome moment we collectively find ourselves in (re the unfolding conflict in Israel and Palestine and the increasing anti-semitism at-large that I hope we can all begin to see more clearly and address more courageously), along with the delight and balm of reading and experiencing literature and film—both in solitude and in the shared and/or imagined company of and with others.
Thank you for writing and sharing this piece at this moment, and for the reminder that life—with all of its layers of light and dark—is simultaneously unfolding all around us and within us, offering both its beauty and its terror (as Rilke knew so well). DQ is a champion of so many things—courage and a good sense of humor in the face of absurdity seem to be the threads that I most admire, both of which you brought to life so well here. And as for the film, really enjoyed reading your generous take on it.