When you start something new, how do you know where you’re going to end up? Most of the time, you don’t — you stumble around for awhile, exploring uncertainly until, slowly, things start to make sense. That messy journey is all part of the process.
—Jason Kottke, The Process Tee, 19 de Setembro de 2023, Kottke.org
I’d rather talk to one friend in a quiet cafe than fifty acquaintances at a party. Not only is it more of a cosy pleasure, it also works because there is a boundary with the friend; you know where you are. I’ve had a series of male friends, most of which were older than me, and all opened up the world, each in different ways. I was always pushy and curious as a kid; I wanted to know stuff, and be enthused by others. A smart friend can re-describe things for you; seeing stuff on your pal’s terms makes new objects suddenly pleasurable. As Emerson says, “The moment we indulge our affections, the each is metamorphosed”.
—Hanif Kureishi, Friends and Enemies, Substack, 13 de Setembro de 2023
Anybody who goes through life with open mind and open heart will encounter these moments of revelation, moments that are saturated with meaning, but whose meaning cannot be put into words. These moments are precious to us. When they occur it is as though, on the winding ill-lit stairway of our life, we suddenly come across a window, through which we catch sight of another and brighter world – a world to which we belong but which we cannot enter.
—Roger Scruton, Effing the Ineffable, Catholic Education Resource Center, 4 de Novembro de 2010
—(…) “Nos nossos dias é reacionário acreditar em Deus”, disse-lhes, “mas eu sou o diabo, de modo que acreditarão em mim.” “De acordo, de acordo”, responderam-me. “Quem não acredita no diabo? Mas não podemos admiti-lo. Seria susceptível de prejudicar a nossa reputação. No entanto, sob a forma de anedota, se quiser…” Mas eu considerei que seria uma anedota pouco engenhosa e não se publicou. E, olha, é uma coisa que ainda hoje me dói. Os meus melhores sentimentos, a gratidão, por exemplo, estão-me proibidos devido à minha posição social.
— Fiódor Dostoiévski, Os Irmãos Karamázov, Saída de Emergência 2018
It seems to me, that if we love, we grieve. That’s the deal. That’s the pact. Grief and love are forever intertwined. Grief is the terrible reminder of the depths of our love and, like love, grief is non-negotiable.
—Nick Cave, carta para uma fã chamada Cynthia em 2018 (via Letters of Note).