. . . but they have no interest in real combat, when the great masters struggle against that something, that something that terrifies us all, that something that cows us and spurs us on, amid blood and mortal wounds and stench.


01 February 2010

In Anticipation

__________, thank you for the invitation. Things could not have worked out better on all levels. 2666 arrived from Powell's yesterday morning just as I had finished the previous book. Today I began house sitting for a Mexican friend who is in the big city for a week on business.

The house is deeper in my neighborhood, which is called Colonia San Antonio and is very Mexican. It has a high wall around it with broken bottles embedded along the top and comes with a large yellow dog named Zumm. There is a great interior courtyard with lots of large plants where I read in the sun during the day. No heat inside at night, but I am used to that.

I have a 19 liters of potable water and a full refrigerator. There are a meat shop, tortilleria, bakery, vegetable and fruit shop, and two small grocery stores within one block of me. I have intermittent electricity and a strong wifi signal when the electricity is on. All my wants and needs.

Zumm and I have nothing to do but read this book, and he is not hogging it. I have finished The Part About the Critics today. I should be able to finish one part every day and still have time for personal hygiene. I will soon be caught up with y'all. Looks like the dust is starting to settle a bit here in this discussion so my timing is about right.

For anyone who might be interested in a little extra credit reading, I suggest this interesting article that appeared in Harpers last spring, The Sicario: A Juárez Hit Man Speaks by Charles Bowden. I do not have the permission of Harpers to offer it to you in that form, but it is clearly for educational purposes here.

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