Sobriquet 40.25

The following post was originally published on 3/26/08.

Since today marks another day in a succession of similarly structured days, I haven't much new to report. As usual, I spent an hour or so reading Waiting for the Barbarians, taking notes, reflecting on what I might be able to say about the novel and devoted a bit of time to plotting out the next chapter. Although I have baulked at outlining and extensive prewriting in the past, I found the the skeletal outline I threw together in a fit of desperation while struggling to find my bearings on the last chapter really helped me out. I mean, if nothing else, an outline does provide one with a road map to his or her project and, reassuringly, contains what can often feel like a sprawling, uncontrollable, unmanageable mass in a page or two of black text on 8 1/2" x 11" paper.

At least that's what I tell myself.

As for the reading: I continue to marvel at the fact that I found Waiting for the Barbarians forgettable the first time I read it. I mean, for every "oh yeah, I remember that moment," there's another "how on earth did I forget that" moment...

For tomorrow: Since I have a good deal of grading I will be doing and since I have had to cancel plans to socialize with friends to finish that task, I do not have the highest of expectations for my own work. If anything, I'd like to do a teensy-weensy bit of prewriting and, maybe, squeeze in a couple more pages of Waiting for the Barbarians. If only to cultivate a sense of accomplishment, no matter how trivial it may be.