Welcome to the weekend,
I’m back in the Lone Star state this week, packing and preparing, and generally wrapping things up around here. We have just a few days left in Texas before another big move, and there is plenty to be done. It’s amazing how many short tasks that take “no time,” manage to fill hours when you’re on a deadline. In any case, I’ve made it a point to stop working at least one hour before bed, in order to read a bit and wind down into a bedtime routine. I figure if I can maintain reading and writing through another move in the midst of a pandemic, I should be able to accomplish those things through pretty much anything. So far, so good.
Here is what I’d like to share from around the Internet:
Unwrapping the myth of Jack Kerouac’s spontaneity. If you’ve heard anything about Kerouac’s composing of On the Road, it probably involves a mad dash of writing off the entire novel in three weeks time on a 120 foot scroll. That isn’t entirely accurate, as this report reveals.
Art Garfunkel has kept a list of every book he’s read since 1968.
In the days and weeks following Joan Didion’s death, a rush of tributes and quotes flooded the Internet. Many quotes were from her books or reviews of said books, but several were not able to be traced to a viewable document or interview. This particular piece goes back to investigate and publish the widely-quoted, yet impossible-to-find, print only (until now) commencement speech Didion gave in 1975, which contains her trademark wise observations and wit, and from which many of those untraceable quotes are taken.
On insomnia and those middle of the night wakeup sessions.
An overview of Thomas Aquinas’ thought. This year, I am diving into learning more about the doctrine of the early Christian church. In preparation, I reviewed literature from the most influential Christian thinkers over the centuries; Aquinas undoubtedly being one of them. This webpage gives a great overview of the similarities and influence of Aristotle’s thought alongside Aquinas’.
Currently reading: The History of the Church by Eusebius (Penguin Classics Edition)
Have a creative weekend.
