Work in progress

I have plenty of projects in this category of work in progress. They all are in different stages of development, certainly far from being completed, some still at the early stage of evolution. I will start with writing, and the blog.

Glass and Sand is now at the stage of emerging from obscurity. I publish two or three posts a month on average, sometimes more if I am inspired by a prompt, some reading, or a smile in the street, maybe a picture. The whole of book 1 of The Page is there now, with some chapters on the old Glass and Paper , renamed Sisyphus History.

There I have hardly revisited the older posts, a thankless task of tracing back the original pictures, erased in the transfer, and kept to new posts mostly motivated by prompts, such as six sentence story. I am not sure of what to do with Sisyphus History to be honest. I don’t seem to find the time, or the motivation for now, to go back to the older posts going back to the early 2000’s.

Writing

The page Book 2 is at the early stage of setting up the characters, Paul, Julian’s son and heir, on the path to discover his father’s true story, and his mother Jane, the two of them in a love affair that keeps just on the border. Solange, the new flame is a mere esquisse at this stage. Laure is a new undertaking, also centered on a red hot couple of mother and son. The scope and plot are still a little vague, and I have stalled on this story for some weeks. I have not worked again on the Owl, Dakar, Marcus and others for months. The inspiration may well reappear later.

Good Reads

Reading has kept me very involved. I have just finished “la Defaite de l’Occident” de Emmanuel Todd, a powerful analysis of the current conflict in the Ukraine. Little to cheer about in Mr Todd’s interpretation of events. By the way a superficial browsing of Après l’Empire, written in 2002, shows that Emmanuel Todd is not always reliable in his predictions. Perhaps more about this in another post.

I am continuing my discovery of Eastern spirituality with Ivan Alexandrovich Ilyin, and I have commented on Resistance to Evil in the blog. A timely read. I have just restarted The Shards by Brett Easton Ellis, as far as I know his latest novel, perhaps genuinely inspired by his experience at college, in the same way as his pupil, Donna Tart’s The Secret History.

Other works being perused or read according to the mood: I am reading Fyodor Dostoevsky’s the House of the Dead as a prelude to attacking his whole corpus of novels. I suggest my readers to take an occasional look  at the Inspired Reading blog where I occasionally contribute a review (and of course my Good Reads page).

Keeping sane

On the physical training side I have resumed some gym work after an eclipse due to my chronic condition: I have to move carefully to avoid injuries. Other projects: a visit to Belgium, perhaps a summer early autumn vacation in Burgundy. And more writing.

How to remain sane?

In conclusion, navigating the tumultuous waters of our times requires a balanced approach that nurtures both the mind and body. By immersing ourselves in thought-provoking literature, expressing our reflections through writing, and engaging in regular physical exercise, we cultivate a sanctuary of sanity amidst chaos. This trifecta not only keeps us informed but also grounds us, allowing creativity to flourish even in the most uncertain moments. So, let’s commit to this holistic routine—it’s a simple yet powerful way to stay centred, inspired, and ready to tackle whatever challenges come our way. Happy reading, writing, and moving!

Image source

Featured image: On the Seashore, George Elgar Hicks (1879)