Well, hey there sunshine:
Is it Sunday already?
September seems to have snuck up while I was waiting for July to end.
Has anyone else been stymied by technology lately? You go through all the steps to do something and at the very end something goes wonky? a check box won’t check, an error message baffles you? The form reloads and asks you to complete it from scratch?
What’s scratch? I know it’s a baking term and probably has to do with bread but why scratch, exactly? Merriam-Webster says it is from the starting line of a race being scratched into the ground but I totally do not buy this. The phrase would be “from the scratch” if that was the case.
I’m going to guess it has to do with having no money - “scratch” was money as well, after all. Maybe it derives from scrabbling for the last coin at the bottom of a tin or something along those lines. The only time we really use it is in baking when you begin with absolutely nothing prefabricated - you start with nothing.
So it doesn’t really mean “start at the beginning” does it? It means, I’m starting from nothing.
Writing News
I’ve been journaling, writing texts, reading loads of novels (Hurricane Girl was a recent particular favorite), responding to long emails with even longer emails, attending as many readings as possible, going to galleries and art shows, and basically starting things that are terrible.
At least I’m trying.
Meanwhile, the first Pen Parentis Literary Salon is Tuesday September 12th at 7pm ET — tune in as my guest! Just click “friend” and you get a free ticket. I’d love to interact with you online! Here’s the link.
And if you are in NYC: I’m doing a reading from A FLASH OF DARKNESS with Lucy Sante and Mark Jacobson at the swanky and exclusive music and literature Salon at Catherine Texier’s private LES loft Friday Sept 15 and you’re invited:
Music performed by Madelyn Monaghan and Caleb Adams
Doors open at 7 PM. Readings and music start at 8 PM
Food and wine will be served
255 east 7th street – Between Ave. C and D
Intercom 5 – 4th floor
Random Final Thought:
Why do eggs come in dozens?
Also perhaps related -- "scratch" can be a sports term, particularly in horse racing, meaning that the athlete's participation in the event is canceled. So, you start over from scratch because the other thing went wrong. In the sports situation, I imagine other competitors or bettors at one time noted scratches that were denoted by a line drawn through the canceled person's name. The athlete was "scratched out." I suppose this goes beyond sports -- "we had to scratch our plans." There is also a "scratch golfer," meaning one that has no handicap.