Mythos, bathroom scales, nap dresses, the provisional life, and more

Seven links to worthwhile thin(g/k)s

Hello dear readers,

Despite the chaos, we still have sunlight, air, an evening breeze, the touch of grass on one’s feet, and other such bounty from nature to enjoy. I’ll be making an effort to be outside in some fresh air this weekend. Hope you’ll do the same.

Here are seven links to bits of the world I have been exploring this week, shared with the hope that you will find them to be an inspiring springboard for deeper thinking.

1. Are we there yet? Oliver Burkeman gracefully explores the illusion (delusion?) of us operating under a misguided assumption that, one day, we’ll reach a problem-free life, that for one reason or another, we consider our present life—with all its unresolved personal and professional issues— a ‘provisional life,’ as Swiss psychologist Marie-Louise von Franz puts it. Is that a good mindset?

2. A personal tribute to Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and his resplendent radicalism.

   One grand boulevard with trees
   with one grand cafe in sun
   with strong black coffee in very small cups.
   
   One not necessarily very beautiful
   man or woman who loves you.
   
   One fine day

3. First and final film shots, and what we might learn by examining them.

4. Now watching: Stanley Tucci’s adorableness in CNN’s Searching for Italy. There is a strong hint of Anthony Bourdain in the editorial structuring of the show, and in this pandemic-ridden life, it is a warm welcome. This week, it was picked up for a second season.

5. Now reading: I started Stephen Fry’s Mythos on Audible this week, and it’s been an unabashedly entertaining and charmingly witty retelling of Greek mythology.

6. The bathroom scale: How did it get there? On a nearby note, the nap dress as the pandemic uniform.

7. Book notes on Brynjolfsson and McAfee’s The Second Machine Age.

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Readers’ Circle

If you’d like your response to be shared anonymously in upcoming newsletters, in the spirit of connectivity in this digital landscape and to recover from pandemic blues, drop a line (or a few!) via email to anielizaveta@gmail.com sharing where you are from or how you would introduce yourself. (Alternatively, you can include contact info if you’d like others seeing this newsletter to connect with you.)

Grateful for you, dear ones. Here is this week’s note from a fellow reader:

Hi Ani,

I write to you from Texas, and I wanted to introduce myself by way of one of the writing prompts you posted in your series. You asked what age we feel right now. I dwelled for long on this question, and I feel older than I actually am. I wonder if others who feel this way have considered this a burden or emotional toll when it comes to people they’ve interacted with, or if on the other hand it’s been a net positive for them.

For reference, this reader is pointing to the Writing Prompt series here. Drop a line here in comments if you feel like sharing a response.

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And please note I’d consider it a huge favor if you forward this newsletter to someone you think would enjoy it.

See you next week!

Warmly,

Ani