Happy Solstice! I thought I had a solstice hike planned at Fenner Center, but the event seems to have vanished, and we seem to have missed the UU's solstice celebration yesterday. Anyway... I'm still celebrating the arrival of longer days in my heart!
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I'm almost done with a review letter for a colleague from another university. I dithered for so long because I didn't know where to start as this person is just such an overachiever. I feel even my eight-page letter doesn't do justice to all they do. But I think I've done my best and it may be time to just submit it. (And move on to other writing projects.)
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When the kids and I met Justice Sonia Sotomayor at a reading five or so years ago, I was very taken by her two daily rules: do something for someone else (even if it's just a phone call) and read and learn something every day. Although I read a lot for work, it became a practice to read something "for myself" since then. I keep short stories and flash fiction around so I can read something even on days when I don't have time for a longer reading project.
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I think that resolution just became easier to keep as my alma mater has just come up with what they're calling The Ten-minute Book Club--a treasury of literary pieces that are quite thought-provoking. There's another similar enterprise they're calling LitHits (it's a Substack) here.
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And while on writing, a well-known writer friend, PM, is doing a New Year's Eve "write-in" where all of us writers (and wannabes) will be online on New Year's Eve, writing to prompts or following the beat of our own hearts and drums. I can share their invite privately if anyone's interested.
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7 comments:
I'm emotionally attached to my books and I have a hard time even loaning them out, because I've had many not come back to me. Not everyone is so attached to their books so people often figure I've read them, why give them back. BECAUSE I WANT THEM. It's a failing on my part that I'm not more generous with them. But here we are.
I just joined that substack! Thanks for the recommendation.
I'm going semi-offline for a week or so (will still be on social media) so sending love to you and your family xoxoxo
Nice.
Max is the king of his domain!
I do not think a day has gone by in my adult life that I have not read. I will be EXHAUSTED at the end of the night and still find time to read five pages. I think it's an obsession.
Like Nicole, I'm very attached to Books in general. I don't loan out any books that I ever want to see again. And I don't do the library because I don't like the idea of giving a book back. That seems like a lousy deal to me. I buy books. If I buy a meh book, well, those are the breaks, and I donate it to our library's book sale or one of the neighbourhood's Little Frees.
I'm envious that you got to hear (and meet!) J.Sotomayor. Her daily rules are exceptional and easy to incorporate. I already do them, yet not strictly daily. I shall work on that. (The only SC Justice I heard speak was Scalia. It was at Gettysburg--a good speech, but still Scalia. Sigh.)
Love the photo of Max! He looks like he's been waiting for someone who is late to Book Club. LOL
Nicole--I wish I'd read your comment twenty years ago. I lent autographed copies of two Upamanyu Chatterjee (whom I'd just interviewed) novels to a friend--I don't think she even read them, but she definitely lost them.
NGS--If that's an obsession, then it's the best possible one!
Nance--I'm a book buyer as well! I always think I should use the library, but I never manage to. LOL on your Max comment!
I have more books than I can fit on our bookshelves and there are like a dozen boxes of books in the basement and Beth had North catalog them so we know what's in each box, but I still want them all upstairs and visible and organized. I dream of having more bookshelves.
8 pages? Wow.
StephLove--there are never enough bookshelves! But it would be nice to have your books around you instead of in boxes.
(Yep, eight pages--it's the most I've ever written for someone. Hopefully, there are no more super qualified people I have to write for. J/K)
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