Books
fromThe New Yorker
11 hours agoBriefly Noted Book Reviews
The novels explore complex relationships and emotional landscapes during significant life events, including the COVID pandemic and enduring love across decades.
The light fades earlier, city lights turn on before the afternoon is over, and the wind bites the skin. During Scandinavian autumn and winter, people dress more warmly, and time slows down. I carry the memories and connections from summer longer than I should, still feeling them in my body. The longing for closeness and warmth is there, but it does not come easily. As everything around me changes, I do too.
But I do think, for me, the cold definitely does bring out a different set of music tastes. There are certain, I think, organic sounds, certain gloomy sounds, cozy sounds. If you think about the way that you spend the winter - and what do I want to hear while I'm sipping hot cocoa on my couch? What do I want to hear while bundled up and walking through the neighborhood as the snow falls?
Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off--then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship.
Artworks inspired by chess boards, landscapes, and nature by Sydney-based artist Sasha Krautman. Chess is a game filled with contrast, order, mystery, luck, and fate. For Krautman, there's a lot of symbolism to be found in one game, even in one simple black and white pattern. Her collection consists of 12 chess board-style art pieces, each bringing together 2 images that simultaneously oppose and fulfill the other.