12/5/2024

The 33 Project

Hello hello. Good morning from the West Village.

My neighbor is having their windows cleaned. All I saw at first was the arm. This has taken Mr. Window Cleaner two days because the house is so big.

Anyway, hope you’re having a good week. We’re in it now aren’t we. Winter, work, everything. So close to 2025. I’m dreaming of a beach and a book.

Let’s get into the recs for today:

1/ For any writers/creatives out there, this is a great interview with Jonathan Franzen on process. Very cool to his personal diary during the writing process for The Corrections.

2/ This is so cool! I love sea slugs.

3/ Nice interview with Desiree Akhavan. Definitely want to read her book!

I can’t say this from personal experience — I haven’t done a lot of work writing for other people — but from what I’ve witnessed, the more you shape yourself in the image that people ask for, the more they shove you around, and then they have no use for you. They have no use for the project because they’re no longer that invested. You’re no longer that invested. You’ll get paid, but the project won’t necessarily get made.

Bonus/ If you have the stomach to read about it, this was a good post on what’s going on with the incoming administration…