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My favorite read of 2024. Ive always been a fan of Miranda July and this novel is quintessentially her: tender, funny, weird, perverted and so in her own head.
one of my favorite excerpts:
"But to be clear, I had not, at any age, desired a specific male body in the way I did now. While all my boyfriends and crushes had been reasonably good-looking, my attraction hovered up near their face, where they kept their talent and power. Lusting for the whole length of a person, head to toe, was what body-rooted fuckers did, Jordi, and men. Now, for the first time, I understood what all the fuss was about. How something beautiful could strike your heart, move you, bring you down on your knees and then, somewhat perversely, you wanted to fuck that pure, beautiful thing. Sex was a way to have it, to not just look at it but to be with it. I suddenly understood all of classical art. The endless carved nudes, Venus in her shell, David. And sexy clothes. I had worn them without really understanding why, thinking of sexy as one of many styles, not realizing it was the only style. You should always be emerging from a shell if possible. Without knowing it, without really understanding it, I had been a body for other people but I had not gotten to have one myself. I had not participated in the infuriating pleasure of wanting a real and specific body on Earth. I lay in the center of the bed, unblinking. Wanting a body had a seriousness to it. When you said you might never recover, you really meant it. This kind of desire made a wound you just had to carry with you for the rest of your life. But this was still better than never knowing. Or I hoped it was. Because in truth it was like a bad dream, a nightmare. Life didnโt just get better and better. You could actually miss out on something and that was that. That was your chance and now it was over. I wondered if I would continue with my work and then I realized that my work was all I had now. I had gotten it completely wrongโI thought I was laboring toward a prize, but the prize was right there, I already had it, and work was something I could do afterward, after I was no longer young enough to be beautiful and could no longer be wanted by someone beautiful."
Jan 29, 2025
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Dec 29, 2024
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Miranda July has been one of those people that Iโve forever (or at least as long as Iโve been on Tumblr) known that one day I was gonna get to and finally the time has come. I finished this book yesterday and really loved it. Iโm so excited to dive into more of her work. I remembered I had a copy of The First Bad Man and started reading it the second I got home from work.
Feb 11, 2025
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Oct 9, 2024
Top Recs from @dannygyoon
I went snorkeling for the first time today. The ocean is vast and I love and admire her for being awe inspiring. But like any big beautiful queen I was very intimidated by her. The first to jump in, I looked past our boat into the blue nothingness that sent abject fear and loneliness through my blood. Fighting against every primal urge i started swimming towards the raised coral reefs and was greeted by an explosion of colorful aliens. "this is space" i thought. Striped fish of every color, lil lobster guys and an octopus. weird! i was in love, i wish my eyes were like chameleons so i could look in every direction. this was better than sitting on the beach. this was better than sex. this was the greatest moment of my life.
anyway.
anyway.
anyway.
it was pretty cool 10/10 would do again. ๐
Mar 20, 2025
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Have you ever let a text sit for too long and then its so late.
and so late.
and so late.
You couldnt possibly text them back now.
You can! You should!
Anyways.
Mar 25, 2025
Feb 8, 2025