grand self-mythology

Susan Sontag, As Consciousness is Harnessed to Flesh

Annie Ernaux, I Remain In Darkness

Joan Tierney, How To Build A Table

Mad Men (2007–2015), 6x12: The Quality of Mercy

Chen Chen, Poplar Street

Lynne Shako, To The Daughter Who Secretly Longs For Her Mother’s Affection

Mary Jean Chan, what my mother (a poet) might say

Joan Tierney, DO NOT REPLY

Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects

Phoebe Bridgers, Motion Sickness

Zeena Abbas, Mom, I Know We Haven’t Spoken In A While But

Kyung-Sook Shin, Please Look After Mom, trans. Chi-Young Kim

Jenny Holzer, Untitled (Food Won’t Go Down...), from Inflamatory Essays

@fuckingwhateverdude, THERAPY SESSION BETWEEN THE GRANDMOTHER, THE MOTHER AND THE DAUGHTER (PART I)

Sophocles, Elektra, trans. Anne Carson

Ocean Vuong, A Letter to My Mother That She Will Never Read

Wych Elm, Susan Smith

as long as you smile and nod, people are satisfied. it’s just to show that you are nice and there with good intentions. we’re small in a big world and have to rely on other people to be decent to us. so we do our little human dance to each other to say, “i’m not here to hurt you. here’s something we have in common, like the weather or sports or itchy sweaters, so we both know we’re on the same team. we both agree on a basic fact, like that it is rainy or that being itchy is uncomfortable, and this proves we can get along. i’m being light-hearted and non-threatening right now.”

small talk isn’t to get to know a person. it’s just a greeting to affirm you’re buddies in the universe.