Maya > Recent Status Updates

Things are heating up!

Enjoying this so far. There’s a real sense of eeriness and unease, and also sadness. The family dynamics are sketched out well.

Bit tawdry, but I knew it would be when I picked it up

I’m enjoying the book a lot, though I have to say O’Farrell’s decision to never refer to Shakespeare by name feels a little contrived. It’s not going to ruin the immersion of the book if we know his name is Will!

In the middle of a bunch of essays about dancers and choreographers, which I have to admit are a bit less interesting to me than the essays about writers (eagerly awaiting the ones later in the book - Dorothy Parker, Philip Roth, Hilary Mantel, oh my!). But Acocella is such an elegant, witty writer, it’s a pleasure to be along for the ride with her

One of my favorite sub-genres in recent years might be described as “essays by older female writers associated with The New Yorker, focusing on art and literature and fashion.” This has included Kennedy Fraser, Janet Malcolm, Judith Thurman, and now Joan Acocella (who died just last year).

Lockwood has such a wonderful, unique voice. Here she is on her father’s view of cats: “He believes them to be Democrats. He considers them to be little mean hillary clintons covered all over with feminist legfur. Cats would have abortions, if given half a chance. Cats would have abortions for fun.”

Things are getting GOOP-y

This is strictly an elliptical book - something light, gossipy, and suitably diverting to keep my attention while I exercise without requiring too much thought or concentration (in the event that I don’t feel like listening to a podcast). So far, it’s served its purpose well.