My week could've been captured in this still life. A reminder that time moves whether I do or not. The book I'm currently reading sat there. Heavy. I read a little but not enough. Probably because it’s the longest nonfiction I’ve attempted in a while (~650p). Probably because my mind wandered.

Newsletters, though - I continue to devour those. Brandon Taylor on stories. Notes on notes. Learning, unlearning, trying to hold on to what slips away. Like the quill in the painting, still but waiting.

I am writing, too. Stacking rejections, a quiet monument to trying. Proof that I am doing something, and that failure is a necessary (and hopefully intermediary) goal. My screenshot of rejections is like a still life of my own.

Wrote 1. a few book reviews but haven't published any yet... 1. the public diary section, still not sure what to call this.

​The Gujaratis by Salil Tripathi is the book I’ve been hoping to find for ages. My last name is Patel, so it’s my deep interest here is no secret. All I’ve known are stories - handed down, crossing continents and cuisines, rich yet speculative, definitely embellished. People we knew, people we still know. My curiosity has always been in those who came before, those lost in time. I first heard of the book by chance, in one of my favorite newsletters, Get Down with Shruti. As of March, it’s still not available for purchase in the US. Yet, through some fortunate twist, my father’s friend bought it in India, and my father brought it back in his suitcase like the old days. It’s hard to believe that this book exists, and that it’s in my hands.

Listened to an LRB conversation on the life and times of John Berger, a brilliant painter, writer, reader, critic, observer, overall engager in life. Another book added to my ever-growing list. Oh, and this too. The hosts, Dr. Iona Heath and Sally Potter (friends of his) do a great justice in capturing his experimental work, how on earth he was able to do so much, and the way he provokes introspection through the senses.

Loved this definition of health from Dr. Iona Heath, inspired by a philosopher (was it Hippocrates or Canguilhem, not sure), as "silence of the body". Basically, that it should not intrude on what you want to do. Simple and true.

In awe of how Berger conducted his days - "I organize my days!" was his simple reply when Sally asked how he managed to publish several books a year, handwrite (and mail) personal letters, maintain close relationships, cook and paint daily etc.

"Berger on death (paraphrasing), 'The dead are always with us. Those of us who are lucky to be alive at this point are like a kind of core, surrounded by this wheel of the dead presences of our ancestors...'"

Listened to The Art of Retirement episode on Infinite Loops, and shared a lot of what I learned with my parents. I've found it beneficial to keep learning about different life stages, especially when I'm not there yet. It helps me to empathize, understand the motivations/incentives behind people's actions, and better equipped to everyone that I come across.

Christine Benz's new book sounds insightful on the tricky transition that is retirement, but I particularly resonated with this metaphor from Jason Zweig on how planning has changed in the U.S. Before, when pensions were common, we were all on a bus headed to a shared destination. Now, it feels more like we’re each in our own private car, trying to figure out both our destination and the decumulation of our savings.

Read a fascinating novella, Money Matters by Naomi Kanakia, on Substack. Jack's decisions threw me for a loop more than once, and I was completely off about Mona. His uncle? Left me pondering even more. I appreciate how Kanakia writes - none of that over-the-top, clunky imagery/scene setting that I've found to be popular in modern fiction. Instead, she delivers straightforward storytelling, with a pointed focus on the interiority of characters and great pacing. Fun read. Started this before bed one night, and finished at breakfast the morning after. Really liked reading an entire story on Substack (~15k words)! Hope to find a lot more fiction there.

At points in the story, you think Jack is just some inert, lazy guy. At other times, you see how he strategically integrated himself into his uncle's life (and will) - not such an inert, lazy thing after all.

Read I learned this week, but already can't remember the definitions to:

Raconteur

Mettle

Ripsnorting

Encomium

Hausfrau

🥂 Here's to hopefully a finding a way to memory, without using Anki!