The Best View of the Best View of the City in the City
An Attempt
One of the splinters I’ve been trying to work through for a few months comes from a memory and a quote. I hinted at this topic a while ago, in a letter I wrote to you in April. The concept is there; I just cannot seem to get the threads tied together and woven into an essay.
That said, I’m sure this still counts.
The Memory
I was showing good friends around DC in their last visit. I took them to the clock tower of the old post office building, and we saw far into the city. It’s moments like this that tangibly remind me how much I love living here. I have joy in this.
We saw the Washington Monument from the tower. It is the best view of the best view of the city in the city. Again: it is the best view of the best view of the city - in the city.
The Quote
A favorite writer of mine, Roland Barthes, in fact someone whose style nurtured my own, has a very interesting quote at the opening of one of his very interesting books. Camera Lucida, a brilliant book on photography, begins with this:
One day, quite some time ago, I happened on a photograph of Napoleon’s youngest brother, Jerome, taken in 1852. And I realized then, with an amazement I have not been able to lessen since: “I am looking at eyes that looked at the Emperor.”
The Catch
Barthes opens another essay of his citing how a famous writer would always be found having lunch in the Eiffel Tower because it was the only place where the tower did not dominate the view. It’s perfect.
I’ll save the actual citation for when I can pull this off, but I know these moments are related. I just can’t tie them together yet.
Maybe next year.
As I mentioned last week, I am starting a winter break now through the rest of December. I will still send letters, but they will be smaller and more focused on the inspiration, not the experience of it as I experience it. I will still send them Tuesday morning.
I want to be transparent here: I will be reflecting on things intently, especially the past few months and how I did balancing this project, starting a second master’s, and everything else. There is a real possibility that I will restart these letters in 2024 with a less regular cadence so that I can write the quality I am proud of and not sacrifice long-term victory for short-term wins.
More soon,
Trevor
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