I’ve had a very long, very productive weekend. Went to see The Glass Castle, received a very detailed guided tour of the State House by an extremely jolly policeman, cleaned my studio (sort of), dove back into the nerdy pleasures of having homework again, wrote a lot, read a lot. Somewhere in there, it rained and I had wine and I happened upon a stony tower on a hill.

The Tower in Hubbard Park

Before my first class on Tuesday, I’m trying to squeeze in as many “books for fun” as I can before readings are assigned to me—which I will surely love to read just as much. Note: the title “books for fun” is simply just a label of differentiation between assigned and non-assigned readings.

I read The Stranger in the Woods in little under two days. A fascinating read about a fascinating person. This interview with the author, Michael Finkel, is also something to consider.

Tana French is my go-to detective/crime recommendation lately and her newest book, The Trespasser, is all the shades of Irish sass and mysterious intrigue you’ve been waiting for.

I love reading about how other writers perceive the world and strain through their observations and categorize their many story ideas. I also love Virginia Woolf, so naturally, the excerpts of her diary anthologized under the title A Writer’s Diary just fell into my hands.

I picked up Max Porter’s Grief is the Thing With Feathers because I’ve been meaning to read it for months now and it is just short enough that I can pretend that it will take me a day to read, even though (let’s be serious) shorter books always take much longer to read because I agonize over internalizing each and every word. Shorter books are like poetry to me. I care for each word my eyes pass over. I study those words and their placement. I indulge in their sound.

In other things I’ve been reading, I wanted to touch on books about the craft of writing. I am interested in them mostly just to see what other people have to say about the thing I love to do, and how so many people can say the same thing in so many different ways. One of these books I read this weekend while plopped in a floofy chair at Bear Pond Books. It’s called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It’s very straightforward, very thoughtful and a no-nonsense call to action for anyone struggling with anything from writing and painting to weight loss and yoga. It is very clear and concise, and frames familiar struggles in terms of battling with RESISTANCE (this nebulous force that is constantly fighting against you). It’s a quick read, and I have a feeling I will be re-reading it whenever I need a frank reminder to be fearless and just GO FOR IT.

I am looking forward to this week of new classes and new perspectives. I have a lot to write, I have much to say. I have the soundtrack to Midnight in Paris freshly downloaded and I still have quite a bit of wine left, too. Cheers!