{Since There is Reality to Deal With}

Here's Marilyn Monroe and some of her poetry/fragments.(More photos here, more of her poetry here.) In terms of her idea on sincerity, I find it fascinating that, 50 years later, David Foster Wallace wrote, in depth, about the same concept.

"feel what I feel within myself — that is, trying to become aware of it, also what I feel in others not being ashamed of my feeling, thoughts — or ideas realize the thing that they are –"

"I’m finding that sincerity
and trying to be as simple or direct as possible
is often taken for sheer stupidity
but since it is not a sincere world –
it’s very probable that being sincere is stupid.
One probably is stupid to
be sincere since it’s in this world
and no other world that we know
for sure we exist — meaning that –
(since reality exists it should be met and dealt with)
since there is reality to deal with"

{Vietnam & Cambodia: 3}

"Thinking is to be a corrective in our life — it’s not supposed to be a center of our life. Living is supposed to be the center of our life, being is supposed to be the center — with correctives around, which hold us like the skin holds our blood and our flesh in. But our skin is not a way of life — the way of living is the blood pumping through our veins, the ability to sense and to feel and to know. And the intellect doesn’t help you very much there — you should get on with the business of living." --Ray Bradbury

Hoi An, Vietnam

{Where the Myth Fails}

My friend suggested that I follow Brain Pickings on Facebook, so I did. Now my feed is full of literature and art and intelligent approaches to universal human dilemmas.

{An Outpouring of Everything Good in You}

Steinbeck, on love, in a letter to his son.

New York
November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Fa

{Vietnam & Cambodia: 2}

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.” 
― Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 7: 1966-1974

Hoi An, Vietnam

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

 Koh Rong, Cambodia

Koh Rong, Cambodia, featuring Pancake

{Intimate Portraits}

Two photographers, two sets of intimate portraits, two quotes on artistic perspective.

Noa Azouley

"I followed my intuition because it’s never failed me, even when, especially when, it’s a risk. I approach my art in the same way: I use my intuition. In fact, I would never be where I am today if it weren’t for the risks I took, the finances I sacrificed, the struggles I had, the extreme ups and downs, and the commitment to follow my gut as often as possible, always knowing that everything would work out somehow if I trusted it." 

Alfred Cheney Johnston 

"I just work in my own way . . . I don't imitate the methods of anyone else. And I break all the laws of photography whenever I see fit...why insist on having a shadow here and a high light there, simply because books have been written saying that you must?

Sources:

http://www.featherlove.com/blog/

http://www.transversealchemy.com/

{Lately, Snow}

February is a cruel month in Minneapolis. Cold days, cold, nights, and a lot of darkness. My friend Emily (pictured below) had a birthday brunch this morning, and I haven't laughed so much in a long time. Coffee, grapefruit mimosas, and tons of good food. There's a certain kind of light but forceful snowfall that makes me feel nostalgic and alive. This type of snowfall came today while we were inside eating and drinking and laughing. Here are some pics.

Oh and this is my new hair, black and bobbed. Not the best look for my face, but I'm gonna own it for a while. Got some bright orange coral lipstick from MAC the other day, which helps make me look less morbid:

{Vietnam & Cambodia: 1}

This year my partner and best friend of eight years decided to separate. Even though it was for the best, it was and has been excruciatingly painful for both of us. We're still friends and are trying to unravel ourselves from each other while limiting the damage we do to each other and ourselves in the process. One thing I wanted to do this year is travel, so I spent the months of December and January in Southeast Asia, doing tech editing remotely and re-connecting with three of my friends who are basically family to me. Here's the first round of pics.

Koh Rong, Cambodia

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam