Status Updates From The Complete Stories

so many wonderful unexpected things in this book. "just when does a mother, holding a child tight, impart to him this prison of love that would forever fall heavily on the future man. later on her son, a man now, alone, would stand before this very window, drumming his fingers against this windowpane; trapped. forced to answer to a dead person. who could ever know just when a mother passes this legacy to her son."

“The Egg and the Chicken”

Getting very abstract now, but very interesting. Inversion of usual expression to title; circular beginning and end of story.
Don’t think (see) too deeply.

“don’t strain to pretend you’re well, ma’am, because you are well”

“The Buffalo”

Final story under “Family Ties” - this story is much more obscure than the earlier ones. Here is another woman, in a brown coat, seemingly spurned and trying to hate while roaming around the zoo in spring. But, animals cannot hate. It makes her clench her teeth until her jaw is sore and her fists. Finally she comes to the Buffalo, who looks her in the eyes and something black inside is felt.

“certain things were good because they were almost nauseating” i wish i could write like this but i feel sick physically sick reading this

i only started this to inform my reading of “near to the wild heart” but i’m so weirded out i like it and dislike it she is so good at putting feelings and impressions into words it’s so straaaaange i want to keep going but it’s also quite uncomfortable