I am in Ecuador (you know this). Upon awaking this morning to roosters and donkey braying, I decided to check out the communal bookshelf in the volunteer house, because (for the first time in my life!) I packed fewer books than I have time to read. I tore through The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao and Lolita in 2 weeks. While brousing through the very limited selection of reading materials on the shelf, what should I happen to come across but Ostranenie 2.2 (a Wesleyan literary magazine, for readers who don´t know), the one where you submitted work in order to get me to do the same (which I never did.)
Have I mentioned I am halfway across the world????
It´s one of those experiences where for a brief few seconds I question the reality of my existence, which is good spiritual work to be doing. And it ties in well with my realization that I can´t run away from myself by getting on a plane (a tough lesson to learn, especially when there is no one here to distract me from myself).
It´s funny too because I went to a supermarket for the first time here yesterday, and it was the first time I saw American things like Pyrex (be proud of me I didn´t buy one), Quaker oatmeal, Jello, Head and Shoulders shampoo. That would have been an appropriate time for me to feel like the world is small and homogenous, but to be honest, I was pretty wrapped up in discovering the dulce de leche section (it will be the death of me). But I gotta say, over world-wide mega-corporations, Ostrenenie magazine takes the cake.
Just thought you might like to know that ''your art'' has reached rural Ecuador. I wonder who it was who brought it?
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