Fireworks from the Train
Currently reading:
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
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: 0
Library updates:
This is going to be a short one, and I suspect many of the missives through the end of summer will be on the short side. For one, while I did finish a book——Rona Jaffe’s The Best of Everything——that was assigned for a reading group I’m taking part in, and so doesn’t count for the Library. I’m also about to finish my first summer class (tomorrow) and start the second (Tuesday), and the second summer session is going to involve a metric ton of reading (and horror-movie-watching). I also have a third and final book to read for the reading group.
All of that to say, I likely won’t be finishing/reviewing Library books until late August or early September at the absolute earliest. I’m even debating what to start reading today, though I think I’ll just dive into some early class reading. I’ll keep you updated if I do finish any Library books, and I’ll still aim to post the usual weekly missive!
Anyhow, the Fourth of July certainly happened. It was a really nice day, especially because I decided to mostly ignore current events for the day and any tie to patriotism and focus on drinking rocket fuels on Fire Island with a friend (hi, SJ!). The only real drawback of the day was my sunburned back——which still hurts, thanks for asking. Our blanket did also get viciously attacked by the ocean three separate times, so Best of Everything is a bit waterlogged.
Someone help her.
But my greatest joy on these kinds of nonsense holidays is watching the pops of color in the air, rising above the various towns on the way back to the city. It also felt like stepping into another world when I got off the train at home: a post-fireworks haze, thick as fog, hanging in the air, with the distant, rolling rumble still filling the night from other neighborhoods. It was surprisingly still (and quiet) in my neighborhood, which both Moneypenny and I were grateful for.
I took the first half of Friday to catch up on homework, work-work, and general to-do items, then went out to my hometown to celebrate my dad’s birthday with my parents. That was also pretty nice! But I was pretty tired when I got home last night, so I mostly just laid in front of my air conditioner until I passed out.
Today, Sunday, I’m going to finish writing this missive so I can get it posted, and then I’m going to finish the final project for my first summer class (and good riddance——more on that in future missives, maybe, and in my personal journal, definitely). I’m using the day as a catch-up day, with a generous helping of rest.
Closing thoughts:
Look at pretty things.
Total books read from the Moratorium Library: 90
