"Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity." -Simone Weil I heard these words spoken in the The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut, which I watched last week. It was adapted from the novel by Elena Ferrante. I'm not sure how I feel about the film, but this quote stuck with me. I'm not a person who requires a lot of attention. In fact, there are times when I absolutely abhor it. I was this way even in my youth. But I am human, and even those of us

It's been quite a while since I wrote an #FF post, but an idea for today's Friday Frustration came to mind the other day. Recently I started reading the novel Luster, not quite 100 pages in and I love the way Raven Leilani writes. The story itself is compelling enough but what strikes me more is each turn of phrase, a few of which so beautifully worded that I make a face when I read (in a good way). I was digesting some of her sentences with a mixture of awe, inspiration, and

“I enjoyed swordsmanship more than anything because is was beautiful. I thought it was a wonderful exercise, a great sport. But I would not put it under the category of sport; I would put it under the category of the arts. I think it’s tremendously skillful and very beautiful.” —Basil Rathbone “And after all the art of fence does furnish a most interesting fund of conversation—the art of skillful fighting at close quarters, which implies a knowledge of theory combined with a