Blog / 2020 / Art in a Time of Mass Suffering

How does time feel to you these days? I imagine that, for a lot of you, on top of the dragging speediness of the pandemic present, you’re also navigating the unstructured gumminess of time that comes from working from home for the first time. Personally, I have never found that keeping to a rigid schedule helps me in any way, but I do have some daily rituals that help me stay centered.

The original puffin painting featured in this video is for sale for $1500 plus shipping. If you want prints or other pretty items with this image, check out my Redbubble shop! The full book will be available later this year.

The first names embedded in this image are Padma, Paisley, Paloma, Pamela, Parker, Pascal, Pat, Patern, Patricia, Paul, Paula, Pearl, Peggy, Penelope, Peter, Philando, Philomena, Phineas, Phoebe, Ping, Pramela, Prax, Priscilla, Prosper, Pryska, and Puneet.

Here’s what I’ve been reading since my last alphabet book update:

• Daring to Drive by Manal al-Sharif

  Saudi Arabia has always intrigued me, probably because I was born there but have no memory of it. I’ve read a number of books by Saudi women over the years, and this memoir is by far the best.

• Real Life by Brandon Taylor

  Much of this novel is tense in a completely pedestrian way and the rest is heartbreaking. I found it fascinating because it clarifies certain aspects of what it means to be black and queer, but also because it embraces the complexities that exist in all of us.

• Weather by Jenny Offill

  The anxiety described in this book is mundane and familiar, but it is described beautifully. I both loved and hated myself for enjoying Weather.