28. März

So,,,progress: I’ve finished 3/5 of my to-do list items since yesterday. Honestly, the last two days have been filled with both more laziness and more effort than I have put in since I came back to AZ a week and a half ago. I must take even the smallest movement as progress in my current state, as unfortunate as that is.

The Roth book, “Patrimony,” COVID reading list #4 and coincidentally also the fourth Roth book I’ve ever finished, was splendid. There is a pooping scene that was hard to get through in one sitting, but the rest was near-impeccable. I love Roth’s narrative voice because it is so personal yet so stoic—it reminds me of the voice in my head when I go through things of that nature. I’ve been thinking a lot about David Sedaris’ Masterclass recently, and how it’s impossible to teach style and personal narrative voice save for by example. Sedaris is someone that has and has always had such a distinctive style in my recollections of his work, and though Roth isn’t a humorist like Sedaris, I think his work bites in a similar way that leaves you thinking about the piece for days afterwards. That being said, I cannot wait to spend the coming days musing about this piece.

Now, as I said yesterday or a few days ago, onto “Darling Rose Gold” by Stephanie Wrobel. It came out on March 17th, so it’s possible that there will be an episode on it sometime soon (I need to read it to make a final decision with this one). I’ve started it and am excited to read it all the way through. It’s a great pick for book #5 thus far.

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I am not a nostalgic person. When I moved to Chicago, I didn’t miss Tucson, and haven’t, really, while I’ve been at school. It was exciting and fulfilling for me (and I know this because of that tricky thing called hindsight) to create my own life and determine how to spend my own time for the first time as an adult. It was like stepping into a role in real life that I had been playing on loop in my head for my entire life previously, and I loved it.

Every once in a while, however, I do get a tinge of nostalgia for something I miss about a place, like the rare time that I can smell that characteristic before-rain Tucson smell just before it rains in Evanston, or the look of a street that reminds me of living in New York City. And I’ve been missing my Chicago life a lot today—especially my records, and the quality matcha pictures that my friends always take in my stead, and the numerous daily walks to the RCMA that allow me to pace my day, enjoying every second of the views.

As unsentimental as I am, I admit that I miss Chicago.

A busy day to come tomorrow, as I will be tutoring a bunch as well as writing and producing an exciting podcast. Until then!

Cheers,

Mackenzie