Pangea is Calling
April 26. A pretty anonymous date to me, but a birthday to millions! An auspicious anniversary, a last day at work, a first time driving a car, et cetera! Here’s the Potpourri.
Happy Bard’s Day
I looked up April 26 on a lark after writing the intro and found it’s date Shakespeare was baptized in 1564. I should give this too, too solid flesh a rest and re-read him sometime. I haven’t cracked open any of the plays since college, though I still enjoy film adaptations.
Sad Demme’s Day
April 26 is also the death anniversary of film director Jonathan Demme, who died in 2017. His most popular works include Philadelphia, The Silence of the Lambs, and the concert film Stop Making Sense. My favorite of his remains Rachel Getting Married, with the ebullient Something Wild not far behind.
Invisible Cities
After I finished Borges’ The Aleph and Other Stories last summer, I started on Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities. This past week, I finally and triumphantly savored the last few pages. I read very slowly these days, and I only stick with books that really illuminate my mental cosmos. This one did and then some; it’s one of the most intellectually and psychologically stimulating things I’ve ever read.
About This Wednesday
This past Wednesday I was really appreciating the 4/24/24 of it all.
Symmetry’s Sake
Owing to some internal expectations about the “symmetry” of this newsletter (that don’t even hew to its actual geometry), I am writing this extra paragraph, but the truth is I don’t have anything extra to say. I hope you have a nice weekend!
—Dara Khan