3 posts tagged “summer”
The New York Times has been running a Summer in the City blog in its NY Times Select section (we get the paper delivered on weekends so this is free for us). I read a few early in the summer, but they did not take. I went back into day to read a 13 year olds view of Paris (I know not New York), but then stumbled on Pursuits by Thomas Beller. Beller frames a vignette in the Meat Packing District of a conflict between a young woman and a guy. The piece completely captured me, it was vivid depiections and smart metaphors.
Not only was this a fantastic piece, but it made me miss well crafted fiction and in particular short stories.
When I lived in San Francisco I read a lot of fiction. I had a subscription to Granta that I deeply enjoyed, when they stayed to fiction. There were rare pieces in the New Yorker that captured me, but normally it was the non-fiction that I enjoyed there. I picked up the short story annuals and devoured them, usually finding two or three authors to follow. I found Ethan Canin's work this way, who's shorts stories always seemed much better than the longer pieces. My favorite collection is the Modern British Short Stories, which I am now on my third copy of (when I loan books the sometimes don't come back).
I now have my eye on Thomas Beller, whose story really opened up a scene and awoke an enjoyment I have forgotten to feed.
I have been in Portland the past few days. I was hoping to escape the Summer heat of the East Coast. But, it was 103 yesterday here in Portland and should be about 100 today.
Part of the problem is Portland is a cool city and air conditioning is around, but not quite optimized for 100 degree temperatures. At night the temp in the hotel room has not been below 72, even when I have the temp set for iceberg.
I had a quasi-similar issue in Amsterdam a month ago when its temp was in the high 80s, but there is little to no air conditioning there. It rarely needs air conditioning.
I really like cooler temps and the lack of a need for air conditioning, but this Summer has gone all wrong.
I really do not like talking about the weather. Hate answering the
question, "how is your weather?" But, last week with the insane rain
that brought 14 inches of wet in 3 days and now we have high heat
warnings. I really have never adjusted to the Summer around
Washington, DC. Rain is fine, but the hot muggy heat it not a favorite
to say the least.
When I left the San Francisco Bay Area I was happy to get away from
eternal spring and the wet damp Summer fog in the Haight Ashbury and
the Avenues. But, in many ways I am deeply missing that temperate
weather. I absolutely love Fall and the cool weather that accompanies
the shorter days, but I am not sure the immense happiness Fall brings
out weighs Summer around DC. I would take cool foggy walks down
Clement Street to Green Apple Books in exchange any day.
