In the aftermath of the academic interview I had recently, I felt the need to treat myself to a little something out of the ordinary. I remembered that Rene Redzepi, the chef behind Copenhagen's Noma, would be in town to promote his new cookbook, A Work in Progress (you can also watch the book trailer,…
I'll be the first to admit that, when it comes to food, I'm terribly susceptible to kicks. In my third year of graduate school, when I taught the horrible 8-9 a.m. section of a reading and writing class, I used to get up at 5:54 a.m. everyday to make myself stove-top oatmeal with banana and…
Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right,…
While I am writing, I am far away; and when I come back, I have already left. I should like to see if the same thing happens to other people as it does to me, to see if as many people are as I am, and if they seem the same way to themselves. When this problem has been thoroughly explored, I…
Every day I want to speak with you. And every day something more important / calls for my attention -- the drugstore, the beauty products, the luggage / I need to buy for the trip./Even now I can hardly sit here / among the falling piles of paper and clothing, the garbage trucks outside/ already…
Most people think of Sunday as a day of rest. Throughout his childhood, however, Tengo had never once viewed Sunday as a day to enjoy. For him, Sunday was like a misshapen moon that showed only its dark side. When the weekend came, his whole body began to feel sluggish and achy, and his appetite…
Oh, gentle feelings, soft sounds, the goodness and the gradual stifling of a soul that has been moved; the melting happiness of the first tender, touching joys of love--where are you? Where are you? -Ivan Turgenev (First Love) On a lovely sunny and carefree Saturday morning about two weeks ago, I woke up knowing that…
What a lovely weekend! I had brunch this morning with a friend at a local gem, where you can find delicious blueberry pancakes, scones and lemon curd (no, I didn't eat all three! At least not any individual dish in its entirety! =P) and then we walked to the local farmer's market, where I found…
Dining with Dostoevsky 