I need a word for these non-dating casual new friendships that I develop from time to time. Many of them follow a pattern of a few deep-ish conversations that can’t be sustained over a long period of time. They’re not therapy sessions, they’re not quite comparing scars, but more along the lines of matching up…
LOVE DON’T PAY THE BILLS
I allow myself posts like last night’s because while they feel a little embarrassing (as if I’ve made no progress), they continue the theme of growth as an iterative process that is by no means linear. I’ve spent the earliest parts of my morning re-reading and editing – I’m not a huge fan of the…
IN SEARCH OF LOST… KEYS
Since I was mentioning Proust earlier, I figured I’d play off of the In Search of Lost Time thing. More than once, I’ve tried to write about time – it’s the only thing that just marches on – it gives meaning and urgency and definition. How we spend it and who we spend it with…
A DAY IN OXFORD
Oxford, MS. Home to Faulkner and the University of Mississippi – Ole Miss. The town was worth the day trip. If I was in to shopping, it would have had more appeal. I was able to buy two books of poems by Tony Hoagland for $3 each. Lucked out at getting a bar spot in…
FAULKNER, PROUST, AND ADVENTURES PRESENT AND REMEMBERED
“It’s a shame that the only thing a man can do for eight hours a day is work. He can’t eat for eight hours; he can’t drink for eight hours; he can’t make love for eight hours. The only thing a man can do for eight hours is work.” “You don’t love because: you love…
A STORY: THE BEGINNING
***This may or may not be a running piece – meaning that I’ll add to it as I go. It is a bit of a thought experiment, a stretching of the rhetorical and imagination muscles. I have no idea where, if anywhere, it will go. I like that.*** Not quite late at night, I wanted…
QUIET WEEK
Quiet. That’s how the week has been. I’m not sure if it seems quiet by comparison to the noise of the last two weeks (it is), or if it’s quiet by my normal standards. My friend Lisa seems upset with me and has mentioned several times that I’ve been quiet (I have). She said if…
DISAPPOINTMENT AND LOVE
Tonight’s one of those nights when I don’t quite feel like writing a journal style entry, and yet only have journal style thoughts. Last night I finished reading Veronica. Holy crap, it was a pretty great read. It took me way longer than it should have. It’s not the type of novel that has a…
FREE WEDNESDAY AT THE BROOKS
The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art has free admission on Wednesdays. Today happens to be a Wednesday – score. After a long morning of writing, thinking, reading, and exercise – a visit to a museum seemed in order. It is a fairly small museum – though when I look at their collection online – I…
THE COMPLICATIONS AND FREEDOM OF CHOICE
Scrolling through Instagram yesterday I came across this ad on my feed. –> I’m sure it’s based on job searches I’ve conducted or search terms I’ve used related to existential crisis, dread, etc. etc. A few people have asked me what I’m going to do. My answer is the same as it was over a…
UNSETTLED LIKE NOVICE MOUNTAINS
Unsettled. That’s the word for tonight. Unsettled mind, unsettled interests, unsettled goals…. unsettled. For the few hours I’ve had after dinner, I basically did nothing. I had some music on. I had my laptop open. The phone was to my left, the set of paints to my right. I wanted to paint, but couldn’t think…