Saved by Jonathan Simcoe
The Plunge
You forgot it for years while you lived in the city. But here it is: that one day in July when it storms but the water is lukewarm and you tumble inside the waves. You lose yourself in the sensation of being a body submerged in another body. Your back against the concrete pillar under the pier; the waves cresting, crashing over you—you can do this ... See more
Henrik Karlsson • Swimming in July
Alex Dobrenko added
Here’s what’s ahead in this edition:
- An August of ideas: my California origin story
- The slow lift: a discovery
- Links and recommendations: not toooo many
- Checking in: what’s Robin doing?
Robin Sloan • The Golden Door
So, as I was saying, I was swimming by the cliffs. Every day, walking up and down the coast I found new places to dive in. I got interested in high diving—something I had been too much of a coward to do as a kid. I felt a childish excitement for water. The kids on the beach would look at me, whisper, and laugh. That is one of the pleasures of youth... See more
Henrik Karlsson • Almost Everyone I’ve Met Would Be Well-Served Thinking More About What to Focus On
The feeling when you jump from a high place and fall through warm air and then hit the water. The way the bubbles explode white around you as you shoot into the dark. The light tickling as the bubbles rush across your skin.
Just the pure physical joy of thrashing your arms around in water. To fill the kid’s buckets and throw it at the sun—the way th... See more
Just the pure physical joy of thrashing your arms around in water. To fill the kid’s buckets and throw it at the sun—the way th... See more
Henrik Karlsson • Swimming in July
Alex Dobrenko added
swimming pool at night, looking for a place to fuck. The fillip of
Jennifer Egan • Manhattan Beach
Eiseley’s essay about this experience is called “The Flow of the River.” In it, he’s not only describing the Platte; he’s describing how he felt he was merging with the river. He recounts a sort of open awareness of the connections between all creatures, all nature. He wasn’t swimming in the river. He wasn’t investigating the river. He was accompan
... See moreDavid Brooks • How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
The ocean looked calm, a black darker than the sky.
Emma Cline • The Guest: ‘The tension never wavers’ (GUARDIAN)
human-scale