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Sea's avatar

Mikey, I still don’t know how you find the time. Each one of your post balanced and organized, and flowing with story. Each one gives me the same feeling I used to get when the monthly National Geographic magazine arrived in my mailbox as a child. You are astounding!

M. E. Rothwell's avatar

Ah that’s so unbelievably kind, thank you so much!

Sea's avatar

My pleasure, you are amazing

Zoe Carada's avatar

"every one strives to keep his individuality as apart as possible, wishes to secure the greatest possible fullness of life for himself; but meantime all his efforts result not in attaining fullness of life but self-destruction, for instead of self-realization he ends by arriving at complete solitude" (no. 6, Dostoyevsky) -- are you sure? He wrote that in 1880? No way.

But then, it's sort of (paradoxically) encouraging: the isolation, the separation, the loneliness we feel is nothing new, and we are not doomed. We simply need to make sense of it, integrate it, and move on.

M. E. Rothwell's avatar

I don’t know how much of him you’ve read, but Dostoyevsky seems to be able to see so deeply into the human condition it’s hard to believe he loved over 150 years ago. Love how you’ve flipped that around though, encouraging indeed

Jaap Stijl's avatar

All the beauty and challenges of solitude, love it, thanks!

Anu Prabhala's avatar

This is an exquisite collection! Thank you.

Architectonic's avatar

I found this incredibly moving. Thank you.

Leo's avatar

Wonderful thoughtful medly, thank you for these posts. Re: 16. Haruki Murakami, from Norwegian Wood (1965) The date you give - 1965, should be (I think) 1987, but in a happy or intentional confluence, 1965 is the release year of the Beatles song ["Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"]. that Haruki Murakami thematically refers to in his novel.

And re: 15. Nighthawks — Edward Hopper (1942) - well among the hundreds of echoes in film and literature, Tom Waits, 1975, Nighthawks at the Diner resonates for me. Thank you again,

Leo

M. E. Rothwell's avatar

Ah, thank you Leo! In my haste I must have quickly googled “Norwegian Wood year” and not realised I had the date of the album, rather than the novel. Have fixed it now. Excellent book and album!

June Girvin's avatar

Some terrific artwork there. "Cain" - truly a God-forsaken soul. 'The Orphan Girl' reminded me of Bertha Mason in Wide Sargasso Sea. Some true depictions of 'alone-ness' in there, The Last King and The Prisoner particularly.

M. E. Rothwell's avatar

Those are so nice. Sad to read he died so young!

Josh Holly's avatar

Yes, he was a friend back at the MoMA NYC reopening days. 2004-2006. He was talented. And also one of the funniest people I ever met. His paintings were just starting to pay the bills around then too! He is underrated still. Man, I miss him.

George P Farrell's avatar

He better pull himself together, the birds are taking an interest.

Ricky Alcantar's avatar

LOVE the Fitzgerald quote. Prescient.

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May 22, 2024
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M. E. Rothwell's avatar

Couldn’t agree more

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May 21, 2024
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Clarice Dankers's avatar

Since I am an introvert, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Introverts obtain energy from being alone. However, extroverts obtain energy from being with others. So it would be much more difficult for them to be alone.

M. E. Rothwell's avatar

What a truly lovely sentiment, thank you