dual personalities

not a week off. Unusually hot, humid weather (no kidding, we broke 90) and spotty air-conditioning slowed everything down, especially me. Nothing felt right or fun or productive, but we had a couple of good storms.

photo by Bruce Dana, northcountrynow.com

I started watching Jane Campion’s New Zealand missing person mystery, “Top of the Lake” on Netflix. The scenery is breath-taking

but the show is unrelentingly grim and just teetering on the “men are bad and women are victims” abyss. It’s also rather mesmerizing and has good people in it. I may try again when I’m feeling perkier.

I also started reading a fascinating book about William James (famous philosopher and brother of the novelist, Henry James) and his “search for scientific proof of life after death”. The title,Ghost Hunters is unfortunate, but the book is readable and gives a detailed account of the conflict between science, popular spiritualists, and religion during the 19th century. Honestly, I thought only modern scientists were narrow-minded and arrogant about such matters — who knew it went back that far? Poor James and his cohort were basically pilloried for even suggesting that supernatural phenomena and the possibility of immortality were worth scientific investigation. I’m only about half-way through, so I reserve judgment.

And work has been particularly unsatisfactory.

if only they dated their letters!

The two projects I’m working on are driving me nuts. The evidence is like one of William James’s wispy ghosts — I can’t pin it down. Consequently, (metaphor alert!) my arguments seem to me about as solid as a house of cards. I have no confidence in any of it and feel like a fraud writing as if I do. Humph.

But never mind! My husband bought me another air-conditioner, so at least I’m cooler. How did your week go?