Dear Reader,
Happy Sunday!
This weekend I saw a group up protestors outside of a Tesla dealership in Marin, perhaps the most California thing I’ve seen since moving here. But, it made me wonder: Will the public turn against Elon Musk? I suppose time will tell. Since this is Sunday notes, though, I’m going to keep politics out of it, but don’t worry… I can only go so long without talking about my new bad habit: reading White House memos.
Onto better things for now.
This week’s theme is solitude, loneliness, and shadows.
Here is Albert Einstein from my colleague Alfred Lee reflecting on the beauty of solitude:
Sherry Turkle’s Ted Talk on Technology and Loneliness from 2012:
Chapter Two, “Seeing,” from Annie Dillard’s Pilgram at Tinker Creek (Which I just read for the first time!)
Full excerpt here: http://ereserve.library.utah.edu/Annual/ENGL/5050/Seegert/engl5050pilgrim.pdf
And a poem, “Drinking Alone By Moonlight,” by Li Bai
Until soon,
Sam
Wow Sam. What a wonderful experience it's been to read through your post. I don't think during the reading that I had a negative thought. Just different shades of beauty and connection and light permeates the poem especially
Love the poem, I must find more translations of Li Bai. Thanks! And I'll try to get to Marbach this 150th anniversary year to see Rilke archives, and maybe ETH Zurich to see the desk where Thomas Mann wrote Zauberberg...Elena https://www.academia.edu/125607390/Rilke_and_Mann_Parallel_Lives_and_Last_Chapters_in_Switzerland