Commonplace #5
Some things that caught my interest - December 2024
Exploring Life and Literature
Dear Friends,
I am not quite certain what happened to this year. It has gone by in an instant it seems. For our family it was filled with activity and change. These winter days are perfect for grabbing a book and sitting in front of the fire. Jazz music plays in the background and Lola is curled up at my feet. We embrace the quiet warmth of our environs while the world goes dark and cold outside. It is a time of reflection and anticipation. May you be filled with wonder and joy as you welcome the new year.
Here are some things that caught my interest in December 2024:
- has been one of my go-to writers since I discovered the Substack platform. His writing is erudite and approachable at the same time, much like the man himself. If you haven’t been introduced to his writing, please check out this article, A Brief History of Personal Canon Formation, to get an overview of his exquisite offerings. I am keeping my fingers crossed we can get John to write a guest essay for us in the coming year when we discuss The Western Canon.
- contacted me last month to chat, and I was pleased to discover his publication, . He is a talented artist sharing his gift with others.
- is on a personal mission to read the greatest books ever written. You can follow along with him at his publication, .
- writes about his global travels and his love of literature. He recently shared an article on Surrealism and Japan. I love discovering treasures like this that introduce me to new things. Definitely check out Jeffrey’s work if you haven’t already done so.
I discovered
when he left a comment on one of my notes. He retired from a distinguished career in Montreal and now makes his home in the Tuscany region of Italy. Check out his adventures at .This month, we are focusing on lifelong learning, and few people exemplify that better than
. Latham has embarked on a project to build an airplane with his son. However, the story is about much more than the airplane and much more than about educating his son. It is also about how Latham continues to learn as he goes through this process. Check out their story at Building the Plane.Spending time in the outdoors, especially hiking, is one of my favorite pastimes. My love for the outdoors has led to an interest in ecological concerns and how humanity is impacting the world around us.
writes frequently on this topic and his recent article, Where the Rubber Meets the Road, gave me new insight into an ongoing concern.I genuinely admire
and her the work she does through her publication. Look at what she has in store for the future of Sober Soulful.One of the reasons this Missouri farm boy joined the Navy was the promise that I would see the world. A. Jay Adler expertly captures the essence of a life in motion and the importance of experiencing the world by going places in his essay, The Urge for Going.
- is an immensely talented author whose work I have admired for the past year. She is a master of serialized fiction and an advocate for indie publishing. In her article "Do We Need an Indie Kitemark," originally published for The Bookseller, she dives deep into the indie world. I was also honored to be put in the hot seat to answer the interview questions for her popular 8 Questions series. Give those a read and then spend some exquisite time enjoying her fiction work.
Are you looking to slow down your life a bit and disengage from the constant hum of the electronic age? Simple Acts of Sanity is an excellent guide for practical steps you can take in the coming year to live a life more attuned to our natural rhythms.
- shared the note below earlier this month. I paused and reflected on how much I enjoy being a part of a community of regular folks—readers and writers attempting to share their lives and creativity with the world. Often, the algorithm can feed you stuff you don’t need. I make liberal use of the mute and block features that Substack offers to curate my feed so it is filled with the good words of regular folks.
Books I read in December:
The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino. What an odd little book. Calvino is an author that has been recommended to me quite a bit in the past year. Before that I had never heard of him. I have a few of his books on my shelf but grabbed this one first. The premise is a young noble boy who gets mad at his family and decides to spend the rest of his life in the trees. So he does. He never comes down. He stays up there forever. Yep, that is the story. There is some romance and intrigue and a strange explanation of his toilet habits - all done while never touching the ground.
Abaddon’s Gate by James S. A. Corey. The third book of The Expanse series. Enjoyable sci-fi that keeps the focus on the story without blowing my head up with too much science.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. This book has been on my radar for years and one of those that everyone raves about. I always see it on the tables at Barnes and Nobles when I happen to wander through. So I picked up a copy at a used book store and read it. For me it was just ok. The writing is a series of vignettes that are loosely connected into a story. It is a unique style that takes some getting used to.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. One of the best novels I read this year. My first exposure to Mandel was her dystopian novel, Station Eleven, which I loved. However, this is entirely different. The story moves around on the timeline of events quite frequently but in a meaningful way.
Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges. This volume has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time. I never got around to it until now. His writing is a labyrinth of imagination and intellect, blending philosophy, metaphysics, and literature into stories that feel infinite in their depth. His prose is elegant yet precise, often exploring themes like the nature of reality, the passage of time, and the power of language. Borges crafts worlds within worlds, inviting readers to ponder the mysteries of existence through his playful yet profound storytelling. Each story feels like a puzzle or a mirror, reflecting the vastness of the universe and the complexity of the human mind.
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. This is the first book I have read by the author. I ordered a copy of her book March to read in 2025 and decided to go ahead and get this one as well. It was such a pleasant surprise. The story is told over the course of generations, moving back and forth between the past and present. It is the story of the Jewish people in Sarajevo but is also the story of a very special book that has made a remarkable journey. I will read more of this author’s work and recommend her without hesitation.
Mr. Jefferson’s Hammer: William Henry Harrison and the Origins of American Indian Policy by Robert Owens. Harrison only served as president for a month before dying of pneumonia. This book is more about his background and role as governor of Indiana Territory than anything else. Harrison was instrumental in developing American policy towards indigenous people, which is this biography’s main focus.
Long Road Home: Stories by Louis L’Amour. A collection of short stories by the western bard.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. “Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars.”
Music:
- posted a video clip of Couch Choir singing Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way. This was my introduction to this musical phenomenon. You should check out their YouTube channel, Pub Choir.
Art Pepper is one of my favorite Jazz musicians. He has several excellent albums, but this playlist includes some of his best.
Poetry:
Blizzard By William Carlos Williams Snow: years of anger following hours that float idly down — the blizzard drifts its weight deeper and deeper for three days or sixty years, eh? Then the sun! a clutter of yellow and blue flakes — Hairy looking trees stand out in long alleys over a wild solitude. The man turns and there — his solitary track stretched out upon the world.
If you enjoy poetry I would encourage you to support the work of some of my dear friends by buying a copy of their poetry collections:
is the author of Someday Johnson Creek. is the author of Mining the Bright Birds. is the author of Waiting for Word.Final Thoughts:
People often use this time of transition from one year to the next as an opportunity to reflect on our lives, set new goals, or make big plans for the future. In truth, the calendar is a construct of convenience. You don’t have to wait for a specific date or milestone to reflect on your life and begin new things. Allow yourself to always be a work in progress, continually learning, continually growing, and if you are lucky enough, continually reading.
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Until next time,
Hi Matthew,
I loved the Glass Hotel and its quasi-sequel, Sea Of Tranquility.
Another fine collection of rabbit holes to dart down, Matt. In awe of your prolific reading! Not just the books, but your Substack in-box too. I have saved the Jay Adler for a read later. Happy reading.