Drafting
Currently reading:
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver [ongoing]
Extracting the Stone of Madness: Poems 1962–1972 by Alejandra Pizarnik [ongoing]
Books finished this week: 1
★★★★☆
Where this book came from: Thriftbooks<3
Why this book: Ray Bradbury? Writing inspiration? Obvious purchase.
Thoughts: I started this book months ago, lost steam with it, then restarted last Thursday and finished by Sunday night. It’s a short book that has some wonderful quotable moments and potentially helpful advice and ideas about writing. I was most taken with the first two essays, then I, admittedly, had to power through the last few to find the pieces that helped me find my excitement for writing again. Bradbury is part cheerleader throughout, but he also sometimes makes writing sound super easy, which made me feel like a failure for not feeling awake or okay enough to be writing. (But that’s my own shit coming out.) Also, could’ve done without the poems in the last chapter. Didn’t get a lot out of those.
Library updates:
As I start drafting this, it’s a sleepy Saturday afternoon and I’m procrastinating finishing my homework for the week and cleaning my cat’s litter box. It was an action-packed week and I’m enjoying the moments of quiet when I can get them.
As I return to continue writing, it’s probably six hours later, and I accidentally took a four-plus hour nap. I woke up in the dark and thought I had missed the entire evening——glad I haven’t. Still haven’t finished any homework.
I was relieved it wasn’t the middle of the night when I came to, but, of course, I also panicked about getting everything done before the end of the day that I meant to do. I feel a little like I’ve been living in fight-or-flight the last few weeks, with every moment filled with work projects or homework or freelance work. So the unexpected hours-long sleep was probably a blessing in disguise.
The very nice thing this week was spending time with and working alongside friends. A friend——hi, Kate!——came to stay for two nights at the end of the week and it was such a relief to have fun and exciting things to do on those nights, and to have someone to sit with and work beside during the daytime. I’m not someone who often feels lonely and I usually genuinely like being on my own and moving through my familiar routines. But it was comforting and motivating to have another person here.
Closing thoughts:
Work at a pace that is conducive to both productivity and rest.
Total books read from the Moratorium Library: 101
(Total books added to the Library: 206)
I pre-ordered Creation Lake before it was longlisted for the National Book Award and went on back order 😎
