Some Light in the Rain
In a foggy few weeks, some things I loved & recommend: a jaunt to Brighton Beach and Brooklyn Museum, a stunning book to be enveloped in
What a foggy feeling few weeks it’s been - drenched in grey and rain, which does feel like an appropriate transition into autumn- the light of summer being shushed a bit. I’ve been in a kind of fog slog, which feels frustrating when used to the heightened senses and focus that can come with the summer and that I’m always pushing to feel. Now that I’ve just wrapped up a job, I’m also navigating how to make new molds of my days- which I’d like to ask you about - but first I want to share some special moments and recommendations that come with them!
Before the rain dawned on us, I went to Brighton Beach with a friend for the first time in so long, and it felt so good- it was surprisingly and beautifully calm - both the beach scene itself (such a contrast to beach times at Riis in Rockaway, which are wonderful in their rowdy joyousness) and the water itself - there was just a welcome wave here and there- nothing crashing, and the water actually clear – I could see my feet! I know it’s now officially fall, but the water felt healing to be in, and I think you deserve to go, if not for a swim, a serene and amusing wander.
We also went to Tashkent - the epic Russian market that sells everything. I got a few amazing pieces of baklava - and it felt like the one thing that I wanted to eat slowly- my mouth bathing in the amazing honey- not sickly sweet as I usually find them. My friend Emily got a chunk of halva - also not too sweet - that we picked apart on the way home. On our way, two hilarious women demanded we order them a cab, and also interrogated us about our experience of the beach, which we all marvelled at for how peaceful it was. I wish I had photos!
I’ve been reading something beautiful and strange and new in the world - The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff, whose writing and mind astounds me.
This brings me to a birthday gift and bookstore recommendation. On my birthday , my friend Jessie simply venmo’d me money to buy a book - a gesture she called lazy, that thrilled me- giving me an excuse to go to one of my favorite places to peek into, Topos Bookstore, in Ridgewood. Whenever I go, it is like it delivers something I didn’t know I needed or wanted, usually used and an incredible deal.
I wandered in, hoping to find a recent book by Lauren Groff (there aren’t many books I’ve been so submerged in and heartbroken by as Arcadia, her novel that takes place in a commune upstate in the ‘60s, and Florida- a series of short stories that felt full of loneliness and humor- both with astonishing sentences and vivid scenes and characters), and was bummed to not find any. But when I mentioned her, to their staff, they told me her new book would be out tomorrow, and placed a stack in front of me. Again, Topos delivered! Are there places for you that hold some magic, a gift you didn’t expect?
Reading The Vaster Wilds was a unique experience of being absorbed inside a story of survival, so rooted in what the character is physically experiencing - her body enduring, an in the nature around her - in lines that read like poetry like, “the air brushed the pain out of her head with its long cold fingers.”
I loved reading it on one of these hard raining days, especially as the weather and seasons are almost like characters in the book, as she navigates the winter and then the spring by herself. I should say there is also a lot of it is (appropriately for the time and story) disturbing and dark, as the protagonist has undergone some shocking trauma.
I ventured outside on this rainy day to walk my dog, and found a watercolor-sky - with waves of pastel colors. The other dog owners came together in awe, one saying it was “like an acid trip.” The Vaster Wilds brings this kind of awe of the world into the harsh challenges and trauma of one character.
I also saw Africa Fashion at Brooklyn Museum- amazing to see such dazzling textiles piece- full of such precision and gorgeous detail. There were also walls laying out the history of each country’s independence and flags that conveyed the crucial context, along with beautiful photographs across decades, as well as great video installations.
I loved the wise words on this incredible piece, which I want to use as a mantra:
“We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking yourself. We are all meant to shine, as children do.”
The exhibit ends Oct 22- go see it!
Finally, I’m thinking about new structures of the day and daily practices- I always find such tension between wanting a daily routine to hold self too, but also following the ebbs and flows of life. If there’s any kind of routine or ritual you find anchoring or helpful, would love to hear in a comment! :)