In terms of food, I have recently consumed rice, a rutabaga, spinach, apples, almond butter, strawberries, and milk and cereal. In terms of art, I have recently consumed:

Distance from Loved Ones, by James Tate — Here Tate is in the process of morphing (Animorphing) from a lyric to a narrative poet, and he writes some weird and amazing poems in the tension between the two.

Without Colors, by Italo Calvino — This is one of my new favorite love stories. I read it while sitting in an uncomfortable wooden chair.

1Q84, by Haruki Murakami — I really like Murakami (his portraits of introverts, his sensitivity to animals, the way he generates mystery) but this novel was too long for its own good. Still, I will probably read the next one.

I was happy to discover Clementine Hunter, a self-taught painter from a plantation in Louisiana. She is folky yet surreal.

I have been watching Chappelle’s Show, in awe of how nimbly he moves between social critique and pure silliness. One moment you are thinking about racism in America, the next you are laughing at a poop joke. Musical guests include The Roots, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, and very early Kanye.

I saw a series of photographs called Beauty Recovery Room (a great title) by Ji Yeo. The photographs show South Korean women who have just gotten out of cosmetic plastic surgery. They are scarred, bandaged, self-conscious, and on their way to becoming what they consider beautiful.

For writing music, I have been listening to “Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl” by Broken Social Scene on repeat.