“This is our decision, to live fast and die young We’ve got the vision, now let’s have some fun. Yeah, it’s overwhelming, but what else can we do Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.” — MGMT, “Time to Pretend” 9.19am. In a beautiful display of clockwork precision, SouthWest Trains’ fast … Read More
“NaNoWriMo is all about the magical power of deadlines. Give someone a goal and a goal-minded community and miracles are bound to happen. Pies will be eaten at amazing rates. Alfalfa will be harvested like never before. And novels will be written in a month.” As confused as I was by that crazy jumble of … Read More
“A word is dead When it is said, Some say. I say it just Begins to live That day.” — Emily Dickinson I feel the way about reading my writing aloud to others as I do about musicals. I love music, I love movies (or plays), but never the twain shall meet. Similarly, I love writing … Read More
“A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes is certain for those who are friends.” — Richard Bach It’s been almost two years since I went to Paris. As I wasn’t working during my last few weeks in London, the subsidized trip offered by the International Student … Read More
“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.” — Anna Quindlen If there’s one thing my university has been great for so far is the number of extracurricular opportunities there are–readings, “Writers in Context” talks, masterclasses, workshops–you name … Read More
“Conurbation: noun–an extended urban area, typically consisting of several towns merging with the suburbs of a central city.” I learned a new word yesterday: conurbation. It’s one of those words that sounds tricky, but when broken down to its roots actually makes a lot of sense: the Latin words con, “together,” and urbs, “city,” combined … Read More
“In prose, the worst thing you can do with words is to surrender to them.” — George Orwell Theory. The word has a ring of the classroom about it–the act of learning and not doing. That’s how the Greeks themselves defined it–the word theoria meaning “a looking at, viewing, beholding”–and as Wikipedia says, it’s more about … Read More
“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” — Samuel Johnson Well, it happened again. Just like my walk through Surbiton last Monday, I took too many pictures while exploring central London yesterday. I was “on assignment”–by which I mean I’ve … Read More
“We want to rediscover the magic of the instant camera.” — Florian Kaps, founder of the Impossible Project Florian was upset we’d started serving the guests before his speech. He ran back into the kitchen, his face a little red and flustered, saying, “No, no, no. If they eat now, they will leave. They will … Read More
There was a small handwritten sign on the door of the Kölnischer Kunstverein. (That’s German for the Art Association of Cologne–but not that I would know.) “Dear Impossible Volunteers!” it read, “Please ring the bell!” I was reassured to know they were expecting us. Someone came to let me and another volunteer in. We were … Read More