Underwear thieves (no, really)

I am pretty certain someone swiped some of my underwear last time I did laundry.  I used to have a match between socks and underwear, and all of a sudden, it's way skewed.  This is the first time that's happened in over 13 years of shared laundry room life. It's hardly something to celebrate . . .

Once upon a time, I would have been intensely creeped out and offended and outraged.  Now I just feel sad.  I mean, if someone is so desperate that they can't afford to buy underwear and need to steal it, they're going to be ticked off when what they stole falls apart soon.  I am super-cheap, and I do not like to buy new clothes unless I have to.  That is some old underwear.  Steal from someone less cheap next time, underwear thief.

Also, ewwwww.  Had to get that out of my system . . .

a successful reading

.
a successful reading makes me want
to write and read like
a successful concert makes me want to sing
.

dying alone (overheard)

The people at the table above me are talking about the death of a man who was single and liver alone with his dog.  He was 58, and he died suddenly, and it took 5 days for them to realize.  "So sad," they kept saying.  "No family, no wife and kids, how sad, nobody knew, how sad," they said.  "No one should live alone and be single," they said.  "So very, very sad."

I hid a crooked smile and thought, again, Actually, not really.  Who is it sad for?  He's dead; he's not horrified or embarrassed by it.  And no family means there wasn't a wife and kids to be sad at being ripped away, no family to suffer.  Maybe I feel bad for the dog, but why is it sad to be alone if that is your choice?

Inner Critic on the Prowl

I am too judgmental lately
about writing stories
and I wonder what brought this on

things I could have enjoyed before
my inner critic sneaks up
and ruins for me, pointing out
the flaws, and I wonder when
it will turn on me . . .

Practicing the Examined Life?

"When a generation's main mode of self-expression is a Facebook post, it is unsurprising that we do not understand ourselves. It is impossible to practice the examined life through a Tweet." - Paul D. Miller 

I read this and thought it made sense.  But then I wondered, when people "Tweet," are they trying to use that as a way to practice the examined life?  And is self-expression the (only) way we (should) examine our lives?  It was a good sound bite, but I'm not sure I buy it in the end.

Your thoughts?

Literary vs Genre fiction

"I think in the west, literary fiction is not supposed to deal with absolutes, and that’s why it’s better regarded, whereas genre fiction deals with absolutes. There’s such a divide. Meanwhile Japan does not do that even with genre fiction, and you don’t have the same divisions." - Yani Mentzas

Your thoughts?

American Fantasy Prose Readers: the same thing again and again

"My understanding is, especially with American fantasy prose, that the people who come back to that expect the same narrative again and again. It’s a phatic experience. Just being able to go through the sleepy town, that fulfills a prophecy, sort of reminds you of what it was like the first time you picked up Tolkien."
- Noah Fulmar

Hey, fantasy readers, what are your thoughts on this? (There's plenty more to the roundtable, so you can go back a bit to get some context, if you'd like it.) 

Why We Need Stories

"But more importantly, without any context any description I gave you would read like an essay. Sure I could explain some of the lost pagan rites from Vint. But without context and narrative, our ability to care about such things is dramatically reduced.

"That’s why we need stories."

- Patrick Rothfuss

This sounds like why my sister hated the Silmarillion.  Then again, sometimes you want the info so badly that you'd prefer to have it in any form.  And when an author takes as long to write (admittedly great) novels . . .  Well, stories are amazing, but the facts are better than nothing.  Your thoughts?