Marguerite Yourcenar has been sitting on my bookshelf for months, her slender novel “Memoirs of Hadrian” collecting dust next to my worn copy of The Bell Jar. I picked it up the other day, feeling a sense of obligation to…
I’m sitting in the living room watching Pandora fix her hair, and something about the entire morning has been bothering me. She has this habit of tugging on one particular strand whenever she’s concentrating, which I’ve noticed before but never…
I’ll be honest, I stumbled upon George Meredith’s name while browsing through a used bookstore last semester. His poetry collection, “Modern Love,” caught my eye because of the title – something about it resonated with me as someone who’s navigated…
I’m trying to get ready for work, but Mr Whiskers has apparently decided that whatever I have planned for the morning is less important than whatever is happening near the kitchen wall. Every time I reach for the coffee, he…
The Understated Role of Texture in Elevating Everyday Outfits When it comes to creating visually appealing and comfortable outfits, thoughtful texture combinations are far more effective than relying solely on patterns or colors. This…
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t always drawn to Chinua Achebe’s work. In fact, it was only after stumbling upon “Things Fall Apart” in a used bookstore that I began to read him extensively. But there’s something about his writing that…
I walked into the kitchen that morning and immediately noticed Pandora’s coffee mug sitting on the counter. There were maybe three sips left in the bottom, which ordinarily wouldn’t have meant anything because Pandora has been known to abandon coffee…
Ryszard Kapuscinski’s name keeps popping up in my reading list, and I’m not sure why it resonates with me so much. At first glance, he was just another journalist who traveled the world, reporting on conflicts and telling stories that…
Pandora has been acting strange all morning, although I should clarify that by “strange” I mean she has done approximately four things differently than she normally does, none of which would qualify as strange if observed independently. The problem is…
A refined daily makeup routine requires restraint and technique to achieve a polished, natural look. This judgment replaces the inadequate standard that more makeup or time spent on makeup equals a more polished look. In reality, using too…
I’ve always been drawn to Ananda Coomaraswamy, the Ceylonese philosopher who spent most of his life in the United States, critiquing Western thought and defending Eastern traditions. What fascinates me about him is the tension between his intellectual pursuits and…
I’m sitting in the living room on what should be a perfectly ordinary Sunday afternoon, watching Pandora type something on her laptop while Mr Whiskers is curled against my leg, purring with the sort of relentless mechanical consistency that people…
I’ll be honest, I only recently stumbled upon Yves Bonnefoy’s work, and yet his poetry has left an indelible mark on me. There’s something about the way he weaves together myth, history, and personal experience that resonates deeply with my…
Mr. Whiskers has been unusually affectionate with me today, and ordinarily that would be a pleasant development. Unfortunately, I know too much now. There was a time when I might have interpreted a cat climbing onto my lap as evidence…
I’ve always been fascinated by Georg Simmel, the German philosopher and sociologist who lived a century ago. As I sit here with my laptop open to one of his essays, I find myself drawn into the world he described –…
I’m making toast when Pandora walks into the kitchen, pours herself a bowl of cereal, and sits down without saying good morning. This by itself is unusual but not unprecedented. Pandora occasionally requires several minutes of consciousness before she becomes…
A thoughtful approach to personal style during transitions requires embracing change while retaining elements of one’s identity. This judgment replaces the inadequate standard that personal style should remain static and unchanging…
Cornel West has been on my mind a lot lately, and I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s because we’re around the same age, or maybe it’s because our shared experiences as educated young people grappling with social justice issues…
I’m sitting in the living room trying to read when I notice Pandora checking her phone for what has to be the fifth time in ten minutes. Normally I wouldn’t assign significance to that, especially after what happened with the…
Evelyn Scott. I keep coming back to her, trying to grasp why she’s stuck with me like a nagging thought that refuses to fade. It’s not just her writing – though her stories are like nothing I’ve ever read before,…
