Blue Nights

This didn’t quite invoke the same senses that The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, its differences being less immediate thought and more reflective. In this memoir, Didion is reflecting on the her departed daughter’s life. There is still the trail of obscure thoughts upon tragedy that occur, that interest me quite a bit; like switching a license from California to New York, what does that entail, why do I feel the need to keep this sentimental status of having a California license? or her thoughts on Memory, adoption, parenting, age, suicide etc…

“Memory fades, memory adjusts, memory conforms to what we think we remember”

She writes and reflects a lot about Memory, and the topic brings a lot of thought to me about how I remember things and retell them to friends. Memory is subjective the moment it becomes a memory, I never gave that notion so much thought until more recently. Do I remember things to ease reality? Do I remember things to make myself ‘better’? Am I being objective enough to not fool myself with my memories?

If you’ve read other writings by Didion, give this a try after her other works, you’ll find yourself relating to some of her thoughts in a transferable way, and ruminate on your own memories and experiences.

My favorite quote:

“Do not whine… Do not complain. Work harder. Spend more time alone.”

This book also introduced me to the author Karl A. Menninger who wrote the book Man Against Himself and Number Words and Number Symbols: A Cultural History of Numbers, both which I found very insightful.