Intimations

There will be no shortage of books written about our current year. Scientific examinations of the virus, stories focused on New York hospital's response in the early months of the pandemic, speculative fictions, alternate histories, intersectional narratives and more. Zadie Smith's Intimations comes out of the gate fast (Proceeds from the book are going to the Equal Justice Initiative and the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund for New York) and has me pining for the bygone days that marked the height of blogging.

I don't mean it in a dismissive way. Smith is of course a polished writer, her six essays are snapshots of a moment, stolen fragments with a precise attention to the little details. But it has me remembering when I'd start off the day reading from a host of bloggers doing just that, boiling down personal moments into consumable online essays. It was for them, as it is for Smith, something to do. I realize I want more of that, a connection to how individuals are navigating this moment without grandiose statements around race, polarization, social media and American individualism. Just more pre-menopausal women clinging to the bars of the Market Garden staring at tulips.