Vacation Diary #2
no reading while upside down on the zipline, people
Tuesday, August 12
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
At the ⅓ point, I am really digging Grey Bees, a novel by Andrey Kurkov about conflict along the Russian/Ukraine border in the no-man’s land between loyalists and separatists. It is set in 2014 around the time of the Russian invasion of Crimea.
Vacation reading? Well, for whatever reason, it is unputdownable. The tone is fair-minded to almost flat, but sympathetic, kind, and with dry humor. It is helping me understand the situation there.
I think part of the goal of whatever’s left of far right leadership in this country is to cement resignation. The exhausting lies, the outrageous lawlessness and corruption--this tires decent people out. Going for all the marbles--the end of the democratic experiment and the end of compromise and competition between two parties--takes a huge commitment to propaganda. We’re still wet behind the ears in the U.S. so we are provoked and provoked again and get our medulas get fried by all tools available.
A novel with relatively flat affect, deep common sense, and a good heart IS a vacation of some kind, from the high-centered misery of our current politics. With all respect and the highest hopes for those surviving a vicious, unjust war perpetrated by an authoritarian tyrant.
I’m also having fun, don’t get me wrong, but reading is one of my main funs, whenever and wherever.
Pura Vida!
I listened to The Adverts A Cast Of Thousands, my favorite so far is the song also called “The Adverts.” The writing is smarter than a lot of punk rock of that era (more in line with Mekons than Sex Pistols). And “Who’s Got The Time” from TV Smith’s Handwriting is on heavy rotation in my noggin.
Steve mentioned a bunch of films yesterday--Mandy, The Greasy Strangler, and the follow up to Poor Things--Kinds of Kindness. Steve always brings the recs, he’s been doing it since we were 14, or I guess we both have.
Our first to Cafe Milagro, one of many over the course of the week.
