Status Updates From A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

Well, Nikolai Gogol sure is…something. “The Nose” was an absurdist tale of a man who, well, loses his nose. Hijinks ensue.

„Offenbar fühlt sich der Glückliche nur deshalb wohl, weil die Unglücklichen ihre Last schweigend tragen, und ohne dieses Schweigen wäre das Glück nicht möglich.“ Tschechow, Stachelbeeren

“Master and Man” by Tolstoy was today’s short story. It felt weird reading it in one sitting instead of a handful of pages a day for a year. It has all of Tolstoy’s complete understanding of human nature.

Reading and discussing the first short story was like a gift from a generous writer.