22. März

Hallo und herzlich Wilkommen auf unserem Blog. Today was a good day because I feel that I accomplished a little bit more than in previous days, and also was able to trim down my screen time to boot.

The morning, as always, flew by with my tutoring. Other than podcasting, music-ing, and studying, I have two jobs: one at Northwestern and one online (as an English Language tutor). And, because the latter is currently the only job that I can work remotely in, that has become my full-time work for the time being. I have to write that I am so immensely grateful to my tutoring company as well as all of my outstanding students for pushing through with me during all of this chaos. It’s been a blessing to be able to connect with people around the world through language (one of my favorite things in the world).

After then, and also periodically throughout the day, I really set out on finishing the last hundred pages or so of “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy. (See my updated reading list for details). I’m going to be posting an episode on the book tomorrow—and this blog is not allowed to jinx me, either—so stay tuned for my thoughts about this epic poem of a book. [Honestly though Cormac WTH! Now I’m even madder about having to read ATPH for class!] Starting “Cleanness” by Garth Greenwell, which I picked up to celebrate the end of the worst class I have ever been forced through at Northwestern—really the only class ever at Northwestern that I couldn’t stand—Slavic 255. It takes place in Sofia, Bulgaria, so I am hoping to find some resolution and peace through this new lit pick. It’s also my second ever gay lit book, so I look forward to sharing my thoughts about it in the blog in the coming days.

Update from 23. März: “Cleanness” turned out to be a little too pornographic for me. I haven’t deliberately stopped reading a book in almost 4 years, but I realized after 50 pages that I wasn’t going to be able to finish. I’ve now substituted the book for “Patrimony” by Philip Roth.

My newest read…literary fiction, and new to boot!

I also FINALLY published DFW8, which, honestly, probably took about 5-6 hours to read, write, edit, and produce between this week and last. I read IJ almost every single day, and it’s been an amazing thing to work my way through so far.

A glimpse of my podcasting/editing setup. Are you all keeping a journal for IJ as well?

I also took something off of my bucket list today and joined Masterclass. 100% not sponsored, but I got a head start on David Sedaris’ Masterclass and have been really enjoying it. I am hoping to get my money’s worth of big takeaways from the platform and am so psyched to be sharing my experience with y’all in the next few weeks.

Another thing I might as well reveal now is that sometimes I get the itching to paint. I get this overwhelming sense that I need to paint to release, and then after I do one or two portraits, I don’t feel the need to paint anymore. (It sounds like something out of Murakami, I know). My favorite medium is…hang with me here…expired acrylics. What I like to do basically is slather on the separated color part of the paint to the canvas with a knife, not only to get the desired texture but also to be able to play off of the color that’s left in the tube. Below you can peruse two portraits I did last December as well as the start to a painting that I am of course calling “The Road,” at least for now.

Jetzt ist es Zeit, meine Oboe zu spielen und danach mein Buch zu lesen. Ich wünsche Ihnen eine gute Nacht.

Cheers,

Mackenzie