Autumn Equinox

Welcome to the first day of autumn! AUTUMN HO!
I did not need google to tell me it was autumn out there, but it never hurts to get confirmation for stuff you already know. Unless, I guess, that confirmation comes at a cost of 80 billion taxpayer dollars or whatever, like we’re so desperate to prove that a part of your brain lights up when you have an idea, like so we can say SEE ideas are REAL (study finds: people stay in relationships because it makes them feel good).

Julie Klausner recently said that she thinks that people who like autumn are the same people who like horror movies. That’s me! I wonder how else we break down in categories.

People who like poems about animals
People who prefer “earthy” to “bright” coffee flavors
People who put mayonnaise on veggie dogs
People who are obsessed with heirloom apples
People whose husbands are currently vacuuming out the inside of the heater
People who wish China Miéville would write another book for God’s sake

The thing about China Miéville is that you discover him, and you get so excited, and you read all of his books, and then there aren’t any more. He’s just your age, so there are not that many to begin with. And then you wait and wait! And while you’re waiting you think, “hey, I’ll just read other new-to-me authors who are sort of in the same weird-ass genre as Miéville, maybe I’ll find other new faves!” and you so you google various genre award-winners, and you look at people’s nerdy-ass Goodreads lists, and you compile a list of all the top-rated books that people who rate Miéville the highest have also rated highly, and you read them, and to a one they all completely suck. Neil Gaiman? Don’t even come at me with that bullshit. I don’t get why that dude is so famous. Plus his wife is Amanda Palmer. Give me a break. There I said it. To each his own, that’s fine.

So what is so special about China Miéville? I don’t really know. Part of it is that he seems to be an actual genius. Part of it is that he is also an actual Marxist revolutionary type. He is not just whistlin’ Dixie, as my dad would say. So the politics suffusing his stuff are complex and satisfying.

I find it disturbing that even authors Miéville himself cites as beloved influences leave me utterly cold. Colder than the deadest fish. “Help me”

I mostly just want to read a bunch of books for the first time again, which is impossible. House of Leaves. Infinite Jest. Embassytown.

Last night I had an anxiety dream in which I couldn’t get my students to stop with the side-chatter, even though I was beating my fists on the table as hard as I could and screaming “STOP TALKING!!!!! STOP TALKING!!!!”

Hey remember my ADVICE BLOG? Anybody need any advice? Autumn is here. New beginnings are afoot. Perhaps a Burlington Coat Factory raincoat must be purchased. I am available for any and all advice needs. If you need somebody to tell you to break up with your boyfriend or buy a new raincoat, I’m your lady.

Fare thee well