Thank you Adam. I marvel at the strange miracle that fate not only granted me a life of ridiculously good fortune, a kind of bottomless chest of blessings, it also gave me you. On top of everything else, I have Adam as my brother. It's like I won the lottery twice. It's a mystery. It doesn't make sense. Is God running an experiment? It feels that way. As anyone who reads you can see, it's not just the world class writing; the man behind the pen is a gift in his own right. I love you. Thank you for the art, and for everything else too.
So. I feel like we've been piecing together a puzzle without benefit of the box cover, some treasured thing that ended up in a hand-carved chest, and has slowly emerged - a flower vendor, a fountain, a group of women whispering - until we have now a fuller picture, if still looking forward to filling in the corners.
"I would put my head down and write with abandon, beyond grammar, beyond punctuation, beyond rules, beyond spelling, beyond re-reading, beyond appraisal, simply moving from thought to thought, gathering ideas up like wildflowers, stepping from stone to stone as they steadily appeared beneath my racing feet."
What a gift that year was - delighted to be one of your readers, Adam.
Thank you, Troy. Some of that structural mystery is why it disappeared from later drafts, but I thought given the episodic nature of Substack I could get away with it a bit here. Your responses to my work are very important to me as a new friend (if I dare), but also as someone who shares a sensibility with me as well. I think you know this already, though. Btw, Finisterre moves into less whitewater for awhile and gets into the flow of the walk. I'd delighted you're pressing on at intervals that make sense to you.
You may dare. 💚 It's been a pleasure seeing the full picture emerge, we hardly knew the scope of it all - I am VERY much looking forward to Threshold, Scheherazade, The White Album.
Always most grateful for any and all of your sharing. The Watchmaker is unspeakably beautiful, I wish I could package it up and give it to everyone I love. Hurrah for fundamental goodness.
I just want to put heart icons on your comments, Chloe, but there's a point where you can suck the life out of an emoji, and I'd like to stop well before I get to it.
Whaaaat?! How am I just discovering you now?! I have a lot of catching up to do. Your prose, your stage, the curtains opening and your tap, tap, tapping keys laying down rhythm... I’m hooked.
What a great note to wrap up my day here. Thank you. I am doing anything but laying down rhythm at the moment with what I’m working on and needed some positive energy. This was just the ticket. So, yes, thank you for visiting my stage and your supportive note! 🙏
I was completely drawn in. Over the years there are times when I experience something and have a flash image snd feeling that it’s like “one of those _____ moments”...
Oh hahaha! I see I already commented. I’m sure you can tell I’ve gone back to the beginning and am now working (hardly work) my way through. Sorry about the double-comment.
Thank you Adam. I marvel at the strange miracle that fate not only granted me a life of ridiculously good fortune, a kind of bottomless chest of blessings, it also gave me you. On top of everything else, I have Adam as my brother. It's like I won the lottery twice. It's a mystery. It doesn't make sense. Is God running an experiment? It feels that way. As anyone who reads you can see, it's not just the world class writing; the man behind the pen is a gift in his own right. I love you. Thank you for the art, and for everything else too.
Right back at you.
So. I feel like we've been piecing together a puzzle without benefit of the box cover, some treasured thing that ended up in a hand-carved chest, and has slowly emerged - a flower vendor, a fountain, a group of women whispering - until we have now a fuller picture, if still looking forward to filling in the corners.
"I would put my head down and write with abandon, beyond grammar, beyond punctuation, beyond rules, beyond spelling, beyond re-reading, beyond appraisal, simply moving from thought to thought, gathering ideas up like wildflowers, stepping from stone to stone as they steadily appeared beneath my racing feet."
What a gift that year was - delighted to be one of your readers, Adam.
Thank you, Troy. Some of that structural mystery is why it disappeared from later drafts, but I thought given the episodic nature of Substack I could get away with it a bit here. Your responses to my work are very important to me as a new friend (if I dare), but also as someone who shares a sensibility with me as well. I think you know this already, though. Btw, Finisterre moves into less whitewater for awhile and gets into the flow of the walk. I'd delighted you're pressing on at intervals that make sense to you.
You may dare. 💚 It's been a pleasure seeing the full picture emerge, we hardly knew the scope of it all - I am VERY much looking forward to Threshold, Scheherazade, The White Album.
Always most grateful for any and all of your sharing. The Watchmaker is unspeakably beautiful, I wish I could package it up and give it to everyone I love. Hurrah for fundamental goodness.
I just want to put heart icons on your comments, Chloe, but there's a point where you can suck the life out of an emoji, and I'd like to stop well before I get to it.
“Wow” moment
Thank you so much Michael.
Whaaaat?! How am I just discovering you now?! I have a lot of catching up to do. Your prose, your stage, the curtains opening and your tap, tap, tapping keys laying down rhythm... I’m hooked.
What a great note to wrap up my day here. Thank you. I am doing anything but laying down rhythm at the moment with what I’m working on and needed some positive energy. This was just the ticket. So, yes, thank you for visiting my stage and your supportive note! 🙏
I was completely drawn in. Over the years there are times when I experience something and have a flash image snd feeling that it’s like “one of those _____ moments”...
Thank you, Alex. I'm filling in only wonderful things in the ______ moments. :-)
yes,
thank you,
Your request at the end of all your essays is “Feel something.” Your exquisite, vivid, transcendent, relatable and oh-so-warm writing make it so.
Oh hahaha! I see I already commented. I’m sure you can tell I’ve gone back to the beginning and am now working (hardly work) my way through. Sorry about the double-comment.