Extraordinary Silvio! Surreal but also REAL because this description of travelling on underground trains - which are as you say, the blood line of the city, is beautifully accurate. Looking across at fellow travellers- strangers we encounter by chance - is simultaneously both distant and intimate. We sit in silence while discreetly observing them quietly moving in stillness through space to their myriad destinations. I also loved your descriptions of the subtle changes in atmosphere as we emerge from the depths into a new domain. Thank you for this.
Thank you so much! I’m glad it resonates. “Surreal but also real” -- exactly! Public transport, especially in old European cities, is a passion of mine. I could spend hours on it, observing, thinking, and being carried from one world to the next.
OMG Silvio do you also happen to be a public transit fan too? Any writing featuring a train / subway / tram as a part of the story gets my like and this one is fantastic to boot!
I love this advice from an (in)famous ghost, to READ, as though the choice - if you had to make one - between reading and writing is clear. Have you read "Distant Star"? It's my favorite of his I've read (so far) - utterly chilling and eerie.
Last November, I returned to London and The Tube subway system. In 1971, I used the trains to get to and from a summer student job at Littlewoods department store on Oxford Circus. Commuting that way made me feel very much a part of the City as I became one of the faceless mass riding to work every day and I liked it!
In 2024, I booked an AirB & B that was lovely AND very far from the places that I wanted to visit, by mistake. So while my purpose for using the Tube was different from 1971 and it was a lot less crowded due to my midday timing, I was thrilled again by the same feeling of fitting in with the regular riders.
Strange how that particular experience helped me to blend in. I loved it! Very comforting and safe. Hmmmm.
Thank you, Sheri-Lee, for sharing this interesting reflection. I love the parallel between the two different experiences and how both led to the same result: making you feel part of a whole, blending in. I bet the Tube in 1971 was very different from today’s. Or maybe not -- maybe, down there, time has somehow stopped. I like to think of it that way.
This one feels especially special, Silvio, for all manner of reasons.
Firstly, we both wrote to/about "L" this week, albeit differently. A minor coincidence, but one that makes me smile at the universe's little ways.
Secondly, I, as Noted in a reply to you, have been reading the start of 2666, awaiting my physical copy, so I feel closer to Balaño now and his writing and so this encounter with him feels personal, in a way.
Third, your description of observing people made me smile so much, as I often find myself doing the same. This section is wonderful: "Until, at some point, observing turns into studying -- studying their body movements, their expressions, the way they handle things like a book or a bag (if they’re looking at their phones’ screens, I’m not interested), or scratch their heads, how they suddenly realize the next stop is theirs, as if regaining their presence after a time of absence, or waking from a soft torpor."
I also look your description of Bolaño here. The small aside of him smoking is deftly described, plus having seen a picture of him recently made this even more vivid: "You know, he started when I was close, reading is always more important than writing. He takes a drag on his cigarette. Some might tell you otherwise, but the truth is that writing develops by reading. Then he looked at me. Read, always read, never grow tired of reading, he whispered, squinting against the smoke."
Finally, the opening lines that set the subway scene are *chef kiss*.
Thank you so much! Yes, we both wrote to L’s -- what a lovely coincidence, I loved that! Bolaño, you’ll soon discover, is like an infinite universe in which to get beautifully lost. I envy your Penguin Vintage Classics edition! I think I might get one myself (that would make three copies of 2666 for me: the Italian, the English, and now the English PVC edition). I’m all in for these little details about editions and series, especially Penguin’s. I think I already knew we share this fascination with observing people in transit -- whether on the subway or other public transport. I remember writing about it in another piece (though I forget which one, lol). I’ve always thought that this seemingly innocuous pleasure tells loads about a person, although I cannot articulate it in just a few words (but it has to do with sensitivity), and for some reason, I’m not surprised to hear you say you love it too. :)
Three copies? Wonderful. I can't wait for mine to arrive, though strangely the book seller said it was a print-on-demand so would take 5-10 days. I'm not sure if that was an incorrect message or perhaps Penguin do do print-on-demand for some of their titles now? Strangely, it seemed a little hard to track down over here. The major local booksellers (whom I prefer to use over Amazon etc) didn't have any copies, so I've gone to an online Australian-owned seller. Happy to wait, of course. In the meantime, I encountered my first pages-long single-sentence by Bolaño. It's so impressive how he manages to keep a coherent thread going for so long without it feeling strained or forced. I can't help feel that I'll want to write some sort of essay on how I feel about his work once I have read more.
I write this now at 7:10 a.m. Monday morning as I prepare to get ready for work. At least I have the commute+book to look forward to before the working day begins. Have a great week, Silvio.
Ah! That does sound a little strange. Especially from Penguin. Should you still have problems, try on Awesomebooks -- that's where I buy most books, new and used. And yes, the art of the long sentence is something Bolano excels at. :)
“Angel number 1144 is a powerful message from your guardian angels, encouraging you to embrace change, trust in your abilities, and focus on creating a solid foundation for success. By understanding the spiritual meaning of this angel number …you can harness its energy and attract abundance, prosperity, and happiness into your life. Remember, the journey towards personal growth and spiritual evolution is an ongoing process that requires courage, determination, and commitment. So, trust in the guidance of your angels and believe in yourself as you navigate through life’s challenges.”
"But in the name of our close friendship, you would submit and follow me, not that reluctantly either. And I, in turn, would do the same with your obsessions"
Vanished into wherever it came from…a mysterious & ancient cycle of beginning and ending. And I always think how unsettling it is when we’re doing something for the last time but not knowing that we are…
Thank you for exploring that feeling in your letters. They are such a pleasure to read—a comfort in the way that shows us we are not alone in feeling the strangeness of life.
Extraordinary Silvio! Surreal but also REAL because this description of travelling on underground trains - which are as you say, the blood line of the city, is beautifully accurate. Looking across at fellow travellers- strangers we encounter by chance - is simultaneously both distant and intimate. We sit in silence while discreetly observing them quietly moving in stillness through space to their myriad destinations. I also loved your descriptions of the subtle changes in atmosphere as we emerge from the depths into a new domain. Thank you for this.
Thank you so much! I’m glad it resonates. “Surreal but also real” -- exactly! Public transport, especially in old European cities, is a passion of mine. I could spend hours on it, observing, thinking, and being carried from one world to the next.
OMG Silvio do you also happen to be a public transit fan too? Any writing featuring a train / subway / tram as a part of the story gets my like and this one is fantastic to boot!
The character of this story is. And I happen to be too. Thank you, Helen!
As always you impale the tenuous fibre of being. Life is transient yet concrete, like your train ride.
“Life is transient yet concrete” -- beautiful! Thank you, Boustan!
I love this advice from an (in)famous ghost, to READ, as though the choice - if you had to make one - between reading and writing is clear. Have you read "Distant Star"? It's my favorite of his I've read (so far) - utterly chilling and eerie.
I have. One of his better ones, to me. :) Thank you, Troy!
Last November, I returned to London and The Tube subway system. In 1971, I used the trains to get to and from a summer student job at Littlewoods department store on Oxford Circus. Commuting that way made me feel very much a part of the City as I became one of the faceless mass riding to work every day and I liked it!
In 2024, I booked an AirB & B that was lovely AND very far from the places that I wanted to visit, by mistake. So while my purpose for using the Tube was different from 1971 and it was a lot less crowded due to my midday timing, I was thrilled again by the same feeling of fitting in with the regular riders.
Strange how that particular experience helped me to blend in. I loved it! Very comforting and safe. Hmmmm.
Thank you, Sheri-Lee, for sharing this interesting reflection. I love the parallel between the two different experiences and how both led to the same result: making you feel part of a whole, blending in. I bet the Tube in 1971 was very different from today’s. Or maybe not -- maybe, down there, time has somehow stopped. I like to think of it that way.
Resonates powerfully with almost any reader, including me. Reading is like writing with your eyes.
It is! Thank you so much, Jill!
This one feels especially special, Silvio, for all manner of reasons.
Firstly, we both wrote to/about "L" this week, albeit differently. A minor coincidence, but one that makes me smile at the universe's little ways.
Secondly, I, as Noted in a reply to you, have been reading the start of 2666, awaiting my physical copy, so I feel closer to Balaño now and his writing and so this encounter with him feels personal, in a way.
Third, your description of observing people made me smile so much, as I often find myself doing the same. This section is wonderful: "Until, at some point, observing turns into studying -- studying their body movements, their expressions, the way they handle things like a book or a bag (if they’re looking at their phones’ screens, I’m not interested), or scratch their heads, how they suddenly realize the next stop is theirs, as if regaining their presence after a time of absence, or waking from a soft torpor."
I also look your description of Bolaño here. The small aside of him smoking is deftly described, plus having seen a picture of him recently made this even more vivid: "You know, he started when I was close, reading is always more important than writing. He takes a drag on his cigarette. Some might tell you otherwise, but the truth is that writing develops by reading. Then he looked at me. Read, always read, never grow tired of reading, he whispered, squinting against the smoke."
Finally, the opening lines that set the subway scene are *chef kiss*.
Thank you so much! Yes, we both wrote to L’s -- what a lovely coincidence, I loved that! Bolaño, you’ll soon discover, is like an infinite universe in which to get beautifully lost. I envy your Penguin Vintage Classics edition! I think I might get one myself (that would make three copies of 2666 for me: the Italian, the English, and now the English PVC edition). I’m all in for these little details about editions and series, especially Penguin’s. I think I already knew we share this fascination with observing people in transit -- whether on the subway or other public transport. I remember writing about it in another piece (though I forget which one, lol). I’ve always thought that this seemingly innocuous pleasure tells loads about a person, although I cannot articulate it in just a few words (but it has to do with sensitivity), and for some reason, I’m not surprised to hear you say you love it too. :)
Three copies? Wonderful. I can't wait for mine to arrive, though strangely the book seller said it was a print-on-demand so would take 5-10 days. I'm not sure if that was an incorrect message or perhaps Penguin do do print-on-demand for some of their titles now? Strangely, it seemed a little hard to track down over here. The major local booksellers (whom I prefer to use over Amazon etc) didn't have any copies, so I've gone to an online Australian-owned seller. Happy to wait, of course. In the meantime, I encountered my first pages-long single-sentence by Bolaño. It's so impressive how he manages to keep a coherent thread going for so long without it feeling strained or forced. I can't help feel that I'll want to write some sort of essay on how I feel about his work once I have read more.
I write this now at 7:10 a.m. Monday morning as I prepare to get ready for work. At least I have the commute+book to look forward to before the working day begins. Have a great week, Silvio.
Ah! That does sound a little strange. Especially from Penguin. Should you still have problems, try on Awesomebooks -- that's where I buy most books, new and used. And yes, the art of the long sentence is something Bolano excels at. :)
I found the reference to the time 11:44 very interesting, because 1144 is a powerful angel number (I’ll bet you knew that!)
No, I didn’t. Interesting. Now I want to know more though… :)
According to Steven Jones on “hiddensignificance.com”:
“Angel number 1144 is a powerful message from your guardian angels, encouraging you to embrace change, trust in your abilities, and focus on creating a solid foundation for success. By understanding the spiritual meaning of this angel number …you can harness its energy and attract abundance, prosperity, and happiness into your life. Remember, the journey towards personal growth and spiritual evolution is an ongoing process that requires courage, determination, and commitment. So, trust in the guidance of your angels and believe in yourself as you navigate through life’s challenges.”
Thank you!
I love this portrait of friendship . . .
"But in the name of our close friendship, you would submit and follow me, not that reluctantly either. And I, in turn, would do the same with your obsessions"
Thank you, Ann! Yes, a “do ut des” that made that one particular friendship flourish -- until it mysteriously vanished.
Vanished into wherever it came from…a mysterious & ancient cycle of beginning and ending. And I always think how unsettling it is when we’re doing something for the last time but not knowing that we are…
Yes. I think about that very often.
Thank you for exploring that feeling in your letters. They are such a pleasure to read—a comfort in the way that shows us we are not alone in feeling the strangeness of life.
We're not. You're right. Thank you, Ann, for your kind words and for always being here.