I share things I’ve enjoyed on Sundays, and I publish an essay, story, or book review (no spoilers) on Wednesdays. Here is what I enjoyed this week.
I moved back to Brooklyn yesterday. I’m loving it. The conversation is varied, inescapable, it woke me up four times during the night. I have been eavesdropping like a man starved. New York is still where ideas originate and germinate before one finds them scattered in a distant corner of the world two years on. Not all of them are good—few are bracing, more are stale and hackneyed—but they fly around with such speed that one wants to close his eyes and relish being in the midst of a flurry. This rapture, however, does not last forever and, soon, I feel that there will be another center for ideas. I think it will be Paris. But, for now, it still feels like New York. I am glad to be here. There are plenty of snares in the city, but if you can avoid them you can do all right here. You can be happy here.
Short story: I want to share the best short story I’ve read all year: The Stone Boy, which I discovered through George Saunders’ Substack. The work touches on the universal; confuses and obscures; forces contemplation; and opens questions without resolving them. It is a story with tremendous depth delivered in simple prose. I will not say anything about the plot because I do not want to spoil it. Please leave a comment with your thoughts if you take a crack at the fourteen pages.
(You can also read it online here.)
Novels: I recently finished To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway. I had never heard of the book and only read it because I want to finish his bibliography (four novels left). Now, I know why no one recommended it: the novel is far, far poorer than Hemingway's others. Until the last couple of chapters, the writing is good not great; the philosophical insights are sparse; and the story alternates between sprinting and walking (neither is particularly interesting). It falls far below the bar Hemingway set for himself. Given its short length, To Have and Have Not is a small impediment to finishing his complete works; but if you are not interested in such futile tasks, you are as safe skipping this book as you would be stopping after Godfather II. (Amazon Link.)
On a more positive note, after publishing my short review of Of Human Bondage, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Somerset Maugham’s Summing Up. The work is a lucid reflection on his career that he wrote as an inheritance for his readers in case death was lying in wait. Above all else, Summing Up provides countless pieces of applicable advice on the craft of writing, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in improving their skill, whether they are writing fiction or otherwise. (Amazon Link.)
Music: My album of the week was Kind of Blue by Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Rarely do I listen to jazz outside of clubs, but, beyond the soulfulness of the tracks, I enjoyed these songs precisely because they transport you physically.
I also discovered the live renditions of my two favorite Brazilian songs: Velha Infância and Já Sei Namorar. They brought me closer, from afar, to the country’s beautiful spirit. I teared up watching both.
Thanks for reading! In addition to my Sunday posts, I’ll publish a short story (9/6); then a review of Bright Lights, Big City (9/13).
And if you think someone would like reading this—or you just want to do me a massive favor—you can share it: