As I sit writing this, on the cusp of Labor Day weekend here in the U.S, I am considering transitions and the ways they affect our outlooks on life. Labor Day traditionally marks the end of summer, even if the calendar claims we have a few more weeks. Kids head back to school, businesses gear up for the final quarter. It’s a landmark, a pivot point, from beaches, vacations, and barbeques to textbooks and the anticipation of wool sweaters and all things pumpkin spice.
The heat in New England this summer was brutal. Cape Cod remained hot at night, which is highly unusual. In the afternoons, we sought shelter at the public library, which offers AC. All of Massachusetts is in a drought now. The heat wave lasted a full week at least. Nighttime temperatures didn’t provide much of a break. Then came two days with drizzle and another weeklong heat wave. And, the Cape was 10 degrees cooler than Boston (!) Perhaps that’s why the cool spell we are experiencing feels so welcome. As I was walking along this morning, it occurred to me that September means winter is imminent. Since we were in grin-and-bear-it mode for August, fall will feel incredibly welcome. Over the past few days, I noticed the angle of the sun has changed and the change seems to speed up as the days pass. The zinnias that gave me so much pleasure no longer benefit from eight hours of sunshine. In my house, we’ll transition to hearty soup for supper. Kale or pea or bean with chard. I’ll be trying that one soon.
Last night I listened to Open Source on NPR. The list of classic books reminded me. The host Christopher Lyden was discussing Infinite Jest, a novel I have not yet read but will and he interviewed several Wallace specialists. I did not know that Infinite Jest is set in Boston, where Wallace lived. They did a segment on visiting the various places described in the novel.
This evening I was reading the latest New Yorker and discovered a two-page review (!) on Jonathan Escoffery's debut short story collection entitled If I Survive You. I know Jonathan from GrubStreet. Took a course with him last fall. He's a lovely person and his book has received incredible praise. I'm going to his first reading on Tuesday night. I'm excited to be getting an autographed copy.
The last book I read was also short stories. The Distortions by Christopher Linforth. I enjoyed his writing style. Stories of alienation after the war in Yugoslavia, so not an easy topic, but Linforth wrote with great familiarity, having lived in Zagreb. The stories were surprisingly varied.
I feel like I've been transitioning to *something* for several years. It's an odd by-product of living overseas for so long. Inhabiting a place was always an assignment. Temporary. Though we’re done with our expat existence and we've been in our current home/town/state for nearly four years, in an odd way I still feel as if I'm passing through. Maybe I’m waiting to transition into someone who stays?
The heat in New England this summer was brutal. Cape Cod remained hot at night, which is highly unusual. In the afternoons, we sought shelter at the public library, which offers AC. All of Massachusetts is in a drought now. The heat wave lasted a full week at least. Nighttime temperatures didn’t provide much of a break. Then came two days with drizzle and another weeklong heat wave. And, the Cape was 10 degrees cooler than Boston (!) Perhaps that’s why the cool spell we are experiencing feels so welcome. As I was walking along this morning, it occurred to me that September means winter is imminent. Since we were in grin-and-bear-it mode for August, fall will feel incredibly welcome. Over the past few days, I noticed the angle of the sun has changed and the change seems to speed up as the days pass. The zinnias that gave me so much pleasure no longer benefit from eight hours of sunshine. In my house, we’ll transition to hearty soup for supper. Kale or pea or bean with chard. I’ll be trying that one soon.
Last night I listened to Open Source on NPR. The list of classic books reminded me. The host Christopher Lyden was discussing Infinite Jest, a novel I have not yet read but will and he interviewed several Wallace specialists. I did not know that Infinite Jest is set in Boston, where Wallace lived. They did a segment on visiting the various places described in the novel.
This evening I was reading the latest New Yorker and discovered a two-page review (!) on Jonathan Escoffery's debut short story collection entitled If I Survive You. I know Jonathan from GrubStreet. Took a course with him last fall. He's a lovely person and his book has received incredible praise. I'm going to his first reading on Tuesday night. I'm excited to be getting an autographed copy.
The last book I read was also short stories. The Distortions by Christopher Linforth. I enjoyed his writing style. Stories of alienation after the war in Yugoslavia, so not an easy topic, but Linforth wrote with great familiarity, having lived in Zagreb. The stories were surprisingly varied.
I feel like I've been transitioning to *something* for several years. It's an odd by-product of living overseas for so long. Inhabiting a place was always an assignment. Temporary. Though we’re done with our expat existence and we've been in our current home/town/state for nearly four years, in an odd way I still feel as if I'm passing through. Maybe I’m waiting to transition into someone who stays?