Had dinner with Drew and Whitney last night in Taos, and was describing for them the slash-topped, crewcut hedgerows in the Wairarapa. So this column comes at the perfect time. Good job—I could smell the flames.
They said to say hello, of course! And that they’ve been enjoying your Substack. All’s well there. And yes, the countryside, the weather, and threes are all perfection.
In his collection of short stories 'Orphans', Charles D'Ambrosio published an essay titled "Seattle, 1974" . Its a beautiful little piece about Seattle before Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Expedia etc. made it the Shining City on the Hill. D'Ambrisio describes in vivid detail standing near a burning building during a driving rainstorm at night. He stood transfixed by the raw energy of the conflagration which was not dimmed in the least by the rain. I cannot recomend this essay highly enough.
I know it! Read it once years ago and just went and dug it out again (it's batting lead-off in Loitering: New & Collected Essays) Thanks for the nudge. It's fantastic. There's a lot here about living out on a weird edge that rings with my Phoenix childhood that in weather at least could not have been more different...the silence of old Seattle he describes has an echo with the silences here in NZ, no? Love the way he can circle around and through some feeling just out of reach. The house on fire is gorgeous, too. Thanks, man!
Had dinner with Drew and Whitney last night in Taos, and was describing for them the slash-topped, crewcut hedgerows in the Wairarapa. So this column comes at the perfect time. Good job—I could smell the flames.
So glad you saw 'em! Miss those two. Safe drive home. Hope the aspens were lovely!!
They said to say hello, of course! And that they’ve been enjoying your Substack. All’s well there. And yes, the countryside, the weather, and threes are all perfection.
In his collection of short stories 'Orphans', Charles D'Ambrosio published an essay titled "Seattle, 1974" . Its a beautiful little piece about Seattle before Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Expedia etc. made it the Shining City on the Hill. D'Ambrisio describes in vivid detail standing near a burning building during a driving rainstorm at night. He stood transfixed by the raw energy of the conflagration which was not dimmed in the least by the rain. I cannot recomend this essay highly enough.
I know it! Read it once years ago and just went and dug it out again (it's batting lead-off in Loitering: New & Collected Essays) Thanks for the nudge. It's fantastic. There's a lot here about living out on a weird edge that rings with my Phoenix childhood that in weather at least could not have been more different...the silence of old Seattle he describes has an echo with the silences here in NZ, no? Love the way he can circle around and through some feeling just out of reach. The house on fire is gorgeous, too. Thanks, man!
Gawd damn adulthood, no lighter or matches on hand.
How far we have fallen...or risen...yeah nah, fallen...
I keep a lighter in my mom mini van at all times 😝. Now you know.
When the chips are down, Jessie, I would absolutely trust you and Daniel to burn very large piles of things :)