Oh yay! You’re here (I keep worrying that you’ll take a hiatus—which is ok if you need to). You read a lot!!! I love Strout books - and enjoyed the Olive Kitteridge series. Franny and I are going to Port Clyde in August-so excited to be back in ME. Veronica is a delightful cat! I’m glad she’s there for you as you heal. Charlie keeps slipping out because I often don’t fully close the door . On a hot day last week I found him panting under the bamboo bushes. I was worried, so endured hissing and writhing in the shirt I wrapped him in. Now he comes when called and I reward him with chicken pate. I watched the final season of The Bear-slow start but I was pulled in. The problem for me with bingeing is that once I see the director’s style I become distracted by it, and with the Bear, annoyed. I won’t say what annoys me until you watch it. Good luck tomorrow—and take it easy.
I'm trying to decide,, minus the research, whether people in Germany and Italy, 1930-1945, wrote Best Of lists for friends and associates, to bide their time during fascism.
"Really liked that Hesse book! Check it out! And the new Fiat drives like a charm!"
A former church of mine today sent a "Happy July 4th!" weekend email inviting me to livestream its Sunday service -- sounding a lot like the prelates who played ball with the Nazis, back in the day, normalizing all the death camp hijinks. "What should I be happy about?" I wrote back. "The return of internment camps or the reappearance of a King we're supposed to be independent from?"
Keep in mind, the church is in Beverly Hills, a Trumper stronghold from six decades ago, the John Wayne / Bob Hope days of support for a that era's tyrant, Nixon. BH is where Maga used to hook up with BLM for bloody fistfights and graffiti fests post-George Floyd. So: consider the source.
You know me well enough by now to know, from a distance, that I'd never try to diminish what you're saying to us. On the other hand, I promise not to cancel my subscription if you ever decide to allow a little reality to seep into your reports. I've come to find it oddly validating to read that someone, anyone, whose opinions I respect is feeling the same fury, the same emptiness, the same sorrow over families divided by government-sponsored kidnappings.
Thanks for letting me vent! Have a great week -- however that's defined these days.
This isn't "politics," unfortunately. This isn't Eisenhower vs. Stevenson. This isn't Ford vs. Carter. This is Kristallnacht 2.0. This time around, the Jews are Brown.
I get it. I told you I got it. You're not Anne Frank, nor am I. But the next time you incur one of your Everywoman nonpartisan aches 'n pains because you had to harvest your own vegetables or bag your own groceries or wash your own car because ALL THE BROWN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED, you'll need to share that with us or run the risk of coming off as inaccurate and dishonest -- and then I'll need to unsubscribe.
THAT was the GOOD news! Here's the bad news. Trouble's comin'.
"AI Overview
In the Hudson Valley region of New York, there are over 305,000 Latinos, representing roughly 60% of the total Upstate Latino population. This population constitutes more than 13% of the Hudson Valley's total population, according to a report from the New York State Assembly. The Latino population in the Hudson Valley is growing, particularly in urban centers, and is the largest minority group in the region."
My advice would be to patronize your favorite local restaurant, convenience store, car wash and grocery ASAP, before they're forced to close due to ICE racial profiling ("politics"). Would that make it into your blog? Please be thinking about that as the occupation expands by $90-billion from the new federal budget. Thanks.
Looking at the list of what you were reading, I was struck by how many were fantasy. I am, at my daughter's urging, reading a Sara Maas book (one of those new authors selling millions-now called romansties. It's ok, but made me realize that I just have trouble getting into books with magic and Fae, etc. Which I find interesting given that I read all the Tolkien over and over in high school and college, and that Andre Norton's Watchword series that I started reading in the 1960s was really my first foray into science fiction/fantasy. When I was helping create the shared universe of the Paradisi Chronicles (where my Caelestis series is set) I remember being adamant about not having fantasy--in terms of magic, elves, etc--but telepathy and other paranormal abilities if we could anchor them in some sort of scientific basis. I need to consider where this shift in my tastes came from! Meanwhile, do take it easy as you get back to work. From my experience just being around a bunch of people is going to feel exhausting at first!
OMG I detest those Sara Maas books. It baffles me that they've become so popular. I read the first and second ones what seems like a long time ago and decided not to continue (the further sequels weren't out yet). I'm still annoyed. I'm not keen on faeries, but I do like witches and wizards and general magical hijinks.
Dick York! Hahahahaha. And for a second, I thought monorail Veronica was a small gorilla. I finished writing my tomorrow substack today—it is a round up of about sixteen books I recently read, among them *my* first Strout: “My Name is Lucy Barton” I very rarely weep when reading literature but that short book really brought the tears. I highly, highly recommend it. If you like audiobooks—the narrator for this one is wonderful.
Good luck back at work!
I enjoyed your reviews and realize we have a big overlap of reading tastes. Love the sci fi/fantasy.
Veronica is adorable.
I read more fantasy when I'm depressed and not feeling great about myself. June was a tough month.
Oh yay! You’re here (I keep worrying that you’ll take a hiatus—which is ok if you need to). You read a lot!!! I love Strout books - and enjoyed the Olive Kitteridge series. Franny and I are going to Port Clyde in August-so excited to be back in ME. Veronica is a delightful cat! I’m glad she’s there for you as you heal. Charlie keeps slipping out because I often don’t fully close the door . On a hot day last week I found him panting under the bamboo bushes. I was worried, so endured hissing and writhing in the shirt I wrapped him in. Now he comes when called and I reward him with chicken pate. I watched the final season of The Bear-slow start but I was pulled in. The problem for me with bingeing is that once I see the director’s style I become distracted by it, and with the Bear, annoyed. I won’t say what annoys me until you watch it. Good luck tomorrow—and take it easy.
I'm not a Bear watcher, it sounds too stressful. But I know it's very popular! Feel free to complain away, except I won't know much about it it.
I'm trying to decide,, minus the research, whether people in Germany and Italy, 1930-1945, wrote Best Of lists for friends and associates, to bide their time during fascism.
"Really liked that Hesse book! Check it out! And the new Fiat drives like a charm!"
A former church of mine today sent a "Happy July 4th!" weekend email inviting me to livestream its Sunday service -- sounding a lot like the prelates who played ball with the Nazis, back in the day, normalizing all the death camp hijinks. "What should I be happy about?" I wrote back. "The return of internment camps or the reappearance of a King we're supposed to be independent from?"
Keep in mind, the church is in Beverly Hills, a Trumper stronghold from six decades ago, the John Wayne / Bob Hope days of support for a that era's tyrant, Nixon. BH is where Maga used to hook up with BLM for bloody fistfights and graffiti fests post-George Floyd. So: consider the source.
You know me well enough by now to know, from a distance, that I'd never try to diminish what you're saying to us. On the other hand, I promise not to cancel my subscription if you ever decide to allow a little reality to seep into your reports. I've come to find it oddly validating to read that someone, anyone, whose opinions I respect is feeling the same fury, the same emptiness, the same sorrow over families divided by government-sponsored kidnappings.
Thanks for letting me vent! Have a great week -- however that's defined these days.
I feel like enough writers are outraged by current politics that my own opinion can be taken as read. But rest assured, I'm fulminating on the inside.
This isn't "politics," unfortunately. This isn't Eisenhower vs. Stevenson. This isn't Ford vs. Carter. This is Kristallnacht 2.0. This time around, the Jews are Brown.
I get it. I told you I got it. You're not Anne Frank, nor am I. But the next time you incur one of your Everywoman nonpartisan aches 'n pains because you had to harvest your own vegetables or bag your own groceries or wash your own car because ALL THE BROWN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED, you'll need to share that with us or run the risk of coming off as inaccurate and dishonest -- and then I'll need to unsubscribe.
THAT was the GOOD news! Here's the bad news. Trouble's comin'.
"AI Overview
In the Hudson Valley region of New York, there are over 305,000 Latinos, representing roughly 60% of the total Upstate Latino population. This population constitutes more than 13% of the Hudson Valley's total population, according to a report from the New York State Assembly. The Latino population in the Hudson Valley is growing, particularly in urban centers, and is the largest minority group in the region."
My advice would be to patronize your favorite local restaurant, convenience store, car wash and grocery ASAP, before they're forced to close due to ICE racial profiling ("politics"). Would that make it into your blog? Please be thinking about that as the occupation expands by $90-billion from the new federal budget. Thanks.
You might enjoy this, if it's not paywalled https://www.todayintabs.com/p/what-would-you-do-617f
Looking at the list of what you were reading, I was struck by how many were fantasy. I am, at my daughter's urging, reading a Sara Maas book (one of those new authors selling millions-now called romansties. It's ok, but made me realize that I just have trouble getting into books with magic and Fae, etc. Which I find interesting given that I read all the Tolkien over and over in high school and college, and that Andre Norton's Watchword series that I started reading in the 1960s was really my first foray into science fiction/fantasy. When I was helping create the shared universe of the Paradisi Chronicles (where my Caelestis series is set) I remember being adamant about not having fantasy--in terms of magic, elves, etc--but telepathy and other paranormal abilities if we could anchor them in some sort of scientific basis. I need to consider where this shift in my tastes came from! Meanwhile, do take it easy as you get back to work. From my experience just being around a bunch of people is going to feel exhausting at first!
OMG I detest those Sara Maas books. It baffles me that they've become so popular. I read the first and second ones what seems like a long time ago and decided not to continue (the further sequels weren't out yet). I'm still annoyed. I'm not keen on faeries, but I do like witches and wizards and general magical hijinks.
Dick York! Hahahahaha. And for a second, I thought monorail Veronica was a small gorilla. I finished writing my tomorrow substack today—it is a round up of about sixteen books I recently read, among them *my* first Strout: “My Name is Lucy Barton” I very rarely weep when reading literature but that short book really brought the tears. I highly, highly recommend it. If you like audiobooks—the narrator for this one is wonderful.
Lucy is a very appealing character!
So glad you agree!