⧉ Rituals, recollected
Welcome to the twenty-third issue of OVERLAP ⧉
Rituals and remembrance
The seasons are changing. Dropping temperatures and shorter days usher in new routines and long-forgotten rituals.
I’m halfway through “The Water Dancer,” a newly published novel by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and the power of memory is one of the book’s major themes. A fleeting motion or stray scent can collapse time and distance; remembering is a kind of magic that can reach people and places that might otherwise be lost forever.
There’s something about the cooler air and deeper flavors of autumn that makes memories feel more intense. When I peel and core an apple, I see my grandmother’s hands, separating fruit from skin in one smooth, spiraling gesture. When I inhale the faintest hint of woodsmoke, I see the house my parents built, its rough stone chimney hidden among the trees.
I can usually count on autumn’s shifting light and longer shadows to spark my visual imagination, but this time around, I haven’t been as inspired to capture the season on film. Instead, I’ve been wandering without a camera, letting the sights and sounds uncover old memories and create new imprints. I wonder what I’ll rediscover when the seasons change again.
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My colleague Bernice shared the Ta-Nehisi Coates book with me. (Thanks, Bernice!) As someone who spends a lot of time editing, it’s sometimes hard to read without reverse-engineering sentences and imagining how they could be different. But I’ve completely lost myself in this story, which feels like a great luxury. Rachel Syme articulated this feeling on Twitter not too long ago:
“i think i’ve finally identified the core feeling I feel when i encounter really good writing: it’s relief. relief that i am in good hands, relief that I can trust someone to make unexpected connections and take me all the way to the end, relief that i can sit back and enjoy it”
I really don’t read as much fiction as I should. Will 2020 be the year I vanquish my tsundoku habit? I’m afraid to make a resolution I can’t keep, but it might be worth a try.
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Auntie Jess recommends:
Delicata squash, sliced thin and roasted with the skin on.
Japanese (Hakurei) turnips, sautéed in really good olive oil.
Northern Spy apples, baked in a simple crisp.
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Thanks for reading. I’d love to hear from you — hit reply or send a message through my website to share your favorite novels, seasonal memories, farmers market discoveries, or anything else that’s on your mind. You can also forward this to a friend or two and invite them to subscribe. If you missed a previous issue, all the archives are online.
Until next time,
Jessica
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