Dear Loyal Reader:
I feel a bit like I did as a child overdue on my thank you letters and opening every missive with an apology. I am sorry, but you know where I am, head shaking in despair, and writing to the other Washington. All it takes is a sunny day, a first daffodil, a spate of crocus, and I feel heartened about momentary survival, not long term, of course, but maybe for a while. I wish I could be more upbeat--I rely on friends: do read Alexandra Dane's pep talk on Substack: https://substack.com/@alexandradane?utm_source=activity_item
Still pleased about publication of a South American travel episode from my memoir:
One of the things that delights me is my weekly poetry class on Diane Seuss' book, Modern Poetry, taught by Soapstone's John Morrison zooming from Portland and the amazing cohort of bright, articulate folks discussing these poems and the brilliance of this poet. And all sport such cool eyeglasses!
I've decided to skip a recipe this time as response seems palid and while we're inundated with good ideas, we can't afford eggs.
We know how to escape when we don't leave town. Here are recommendations of books and movies we sent out in our Christmas Letter:
Favorite book titles of 2024 with short descriptions (* are non-fiction):
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (orphaned Iranian seeks artistic counsel)
*Heroines by Kate Zambreno (furious feminist frustration memoir and lit crit)
Absolution by Alice McDermott (American wives in sixties' Saigon)
Winter in the Blood by James Welch (unforgettable Montana reservation tale)
*Broken Open by Martha Gies (essays by our own teacher)
The Skin Chairs by Barbara Comyns (haunting British childhood; love her books)
Small Rain by Garth Greenwell (poet trapped in hospital bed)
The Offing by Benjamin Myers (older woman befriends teen wanderer)
*The Library Book by Susan Orlean (arson in Los Angeles)
The Tortoise and the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins (English country life disrupted)
The Tremor of Forgery by Patricia Highsmith (expat witnesses murder in Tunisia)
Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal (deserter + French woman on Transiberian Railway)
Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrot (Jazz Age divorcee; read along side The Great Gatsby)
The Door by Magda Szabó (Hungarian hierarchy of 2 women)
*Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs by Sally Mann (that photographer's memoir)
*Modern Poetry: Poems by Diane Seuss (relatable prize-winning poems)
Any Person is the Only Self by Elisa Gabbert (essays)
Some of Michael's mysteries:
The Hunter, The Man with the Getaway Face, Flashfire, Breakout, Firebreak, Comeback (Richard Stark aka Donald Westlake)
The Edge of the Crazies (Jamie Harrison) sheriff fights crime in Blue Deer
Hard Tack, a Cat Marsala Mystery (Barbara D Amato) hunting a killer on Lake
Shadow of a Broken Man (George C Chesbro) intro to terrific series with dwarf detective protagonist.
Feral Detective (Jonathan Lethem) loner Charlie Heist meets Phoebe looking for friends’ daughter
A Trouble of Fools (Linda Barnes)-first detective book w/ Carlotta a six foot redheaded dick
Jitterbug (Loren Estleman )WW11 tale good
Pretty Girls (Karin Slaughter) “estranged sisters in a hell raising thriller” NYT
Killer App (Sue Figuera) assassins, hackers, Chicago cops
The Spider Heist (Jason Kasper)-ex FBI agent in “nonstop thrill ride”
Movies Watched (we order many of these from the library; now on a Gene Hackman binge)
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (2023)
Série Noire (1979)
Summer Hours (2008)
Meet John Doe (1941)
Gods of Mexico (2022)
Fancy Dance (2023)
Little Richard: I am everything (2023)
Turn Every Page: Adventures of Caro & Gottlieb (2022)
Living (2022) and original Ikuru (1952)
Infinite Polar Bear (2014)
Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (2021)
And you? How are you holding up? What keeps you on keel? Send word!
Ms. Featherbooks
Lovely. Though nothing much is keeping us on keel at the moment. Maybe watching our 2 year old grandchild ripping out a whole role of doggie poop bags on FaceTime and his mother tiredly letting him do it. His baby sister lighting up when he smiles at her. A brief respite from the craziness