I am not going to put a prelude: my thesis is turned in. I took a picture with said book. Most of the library books that I used for my thesis have been turned in, and I have to assimilate my folder of sources from Tripod into “Personal Development.” And yes, I do have finals to work on. But before I do so, I want to mention what it’s been like to be reading and discussing a figure I’ve been passionate about.
I’ve been fascinated by British culture (by this I include TV shows like “Vera” and “Midsomer Murders”) for as long as I can remember. My father also had a lot of books on Maugham and other British authors: he and I had an agreement that still stands that At 18 and looking for more books to read, I saw The Painted Veil.
He is a figure of so many figures. He’s the gay man in a glass closet. He’s also, like TS Eliot or Ezra Pound, dabbling in anti-Semitism. He’s an art collector: I was so tickled by how the Marie Laurencin exhibit book referred to him as a “famous art collector” instead of a writer, given that it was trying to look at art history without so. He’s willing to viciously attack his ex-wife and state misogynistic things. He also likes dealing with colonialism. It was the primary topic of conversation at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any other breaks I had from school. I bought many of his books from Thriftbooks, many of which I am planning to read for fun. I have the video of me submitting it. In it, I take a few deep breaths (and correct a spelling error). Below are some pictures from my year with Maugham.
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