Author: Kate
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A break in sunny Singapore
Singapore has always been particular about how it presents itself. Whatever impression or narrative it wants to convey comes clear and straightforward. Often, the first mental image I get is of a lengthy refinement process, ideas hammered into shape by committees and countless reviews. For a long time, then, a visit to the National Gallery…
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Cold hands, warm heart
Last year, when certain health conditions went from “mildly inconvenient” to “genuinely worrying,” I joined a friend in trying some traditional Chinese medicine. During the consultation, the doctor made a point of telling me that my limbs were cold, indicating poor circulation. This wasn’t surprising. People have been declaring me cold my entire life. “Cold”…
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On photos
Last year, in a bout of optimism, I bought myself an instant camera. Film has always felt like permanence to me, the same way anything written with ink and paper has always carried more weight. There’s something about translating your impressions into something solid, something you can touch — something that could outlast you, even,…
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Collected quotes, 5 of n
We’ve been losing too many good people this year. Within a little more than a week of each other, bell hooks and Joan Didion both passed away — staggering losses in a time that’s already taken far too much. Both of these writers have shaped so much of my perspective on the world, so I…
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Pandemic playlist, part two
The second year of the pandemic has dissolved so many of the certainties and constants that structure everyday life. Hours and days bleed into each other; half the time, I’m hard-pressed to remember what month it is, let alone what the point of my various daily endeavors are. In the middle of this boundless, inchoate…
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Collected quotes, 4 of n
He had so much to give—stories, reflection, engagement—that somehow none of us ever noticed just how much he was withholding. He could love everybody on the terms on which they needed to be loved, give everybody what they needed to receive; and so, in the end, none of us really knew him. I’ve come to…
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