By Hand

Lentil fields, Umbria, Italy. Photo from the guardian.com:

RIP author Milan Kundera, 94. Born in Czechoslovakia, he was jubilant when the Communists took over in 1948, then was expelled from the party twice. He went into exile in France in 1975. His Czech citizenship was revoked in ’79 and restored in 2019. His early work was political. He then focused on existentialism. From 1993 on he wrote exclusively in French. In all, he wrote ten novels, two short story collections, three volumes of poetry, ten of essays, four plays, two articles, and one work of non-fiction. The only one I’ve read is The Unbearable Lightness of Being, published in 1984, not an easy read, somehow transferred beautifully to the screen by director Phillip Kaufman, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jean-Claude Carriere in 1988. Kundera has received five literary awards, including the Franz Kafka Prize from his homeland. Well done, sir. Facts from Wiki, photo from Google Images:

Excerpt from an article by Brooke Kato at nypost.com: “Sleeping in a separate room, otherwise known as a ‘sleep divorce,’ is a time-honored tradition for mismatched sleeping spouses who seek to prioritize precious shut-eye — and stave off relationship resentment.” Another term added to the American lexicon, as they come hot and heavy in the modern world. According to a study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, one-third of 2000 respondents chose this method.

From NYP: “Aretha Franklin’s handwritten will found in sofa ruled valid by jury.” Lawyers must be thrilled.

The “Check Engine” light has come on in the old Hyundai. It is a signal not to take it to a mechanic but to begin taking books out of the 20-year-old car and to the apartment. I plan to leave only the most marketable titles in the vehicle and hope it lasts until the back-and-forths to the old house end upon its sale, which seems imminent.

Given the heat, I didn’t expect much business today at the floating book shop. My thanks to Alice, who bought Second Chance by Danielle Steel.