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Two tasks and constant interruption
I have two important tasks I need to finish by Friday. Both require solitude and uninterrupted time to complete. It's been the kind of day in which setbacks and trivial interruptions kept me from even starting on either. When I eventually got the privacy and time, it was dinner time. After I ate, the low-level frustration that had been building all ( Read more... ) -
To write is to live
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die ( Read more... ) -
On Joaquin Phoenix, Masculine Dignity, and Getting Older
I watched a clip of the SAG awards wherein the Best Male Actor in Film statuette was being awarded. Joaquin Phoenix's name was called out as the winner. As the camera focuses on him - while the sound of rapidly thundering applause envelops the moment - Phoenix briefly looks onward with quiet intensity and then slowly rises ( Read more... ) -
On Wandering in Bookstores and How I select books for purchase
One of life's greatest pleasures is wandering around in bookstores and perusing their offerings. I gravitate toward novels, memoirs & biographies, and literary/cultural criticism. Lately, I have not bought a single book after my intense walk-reading among the bookstacks. The acts of feeling the texture of a book in my hands and reading front/back ( Read more... ) -
Job posting panic and draft of brief course descriptions . . .
Today I panicked here at work ( Read more... ) -
Reflections on birthday fun and family
A friend, along with her 10 year old son and 12 year old daughter, took me out for my birthday tonight. We had some delicious pho, and then we went to Half Price Books. Although I am still working my way through three other books, I bought an Ian Rankin, that is, a Detective Rebus mystery. I've been meaning to read novels written by this Scottish ( Read more... ) -
Sociability, Art, and Loneliness
One of several things I appreciate about the Midwest is how friendly people are. In turn, I have become friendlier - here I've learned how to smile and nod at people when I encounter them in the public sphere. In southern California, I was mostly locked into my own world, as are most southern Californians; a state of mind reflected in our ( Read more... ) -
Exercise, Sontag Bio, and Anna Karenina
I am at work but not doing too much work. And here are some random thoughts ( Read more... ) -
NEH Seminar
I am currently in Iowa attending a National Ednowment for the Humanities (NEH) seminar. So far, it has been an intellectually stimulating experience. The assigned readings have opened new avenues of inquiry for my scholarly projects, while fellow seminarians have passed on interesting titles of books that may prove relevant. There is a scholar who ( Read more... ) -
On Writing
I have come to realize that my constant self-sabotage has to do with my practiced avoidance of writing. I love writing. Scholarly writing, creative writing, Facebook posts, and, to a lesser extent, professional correspondence. Undoubtedly, I have derived enjoyment from the writing I have produced as a scholar in literary studies for over ten years ( Read more... )