This is what I wear these days to cheer myself up.

I read Kate Bolick’s “All the Single Ladies” piece yesterday in The Atlantic, which is all about how women don’t feel like they necessarily have to get married anymore, and are remaining single well into their 30s or later, or possibly even forever. It’s also about how gender dynamics have changed because women are kicking ass more, and men are kicking ass less. And basically if women can just accept all that and ignore all the societal pressures as to what’s normal, you’re going to be a lot happier. And also: your girlfriends are awesome and together you can rule the world! (It’s a long piece, you should just read it for yourself.)

My response to it is, well, yes, of course. Duh. My only surprise came when I saw some responses online that the piece depressed people. If it depressed you, then the article was not about you. I found it so comforting. It’s always nice to know you’re not alone. This is what every book of mine is about. Of course I have known I’m not alone in this way of thinking for a long time, but it is good to be reminded every so often, especially in such an eloquent way.

Between that and the season premiere of “Bored to Death,” which featured Zach Galifianakis’s character transformed into a “Park Slope Mom” (with a male breastfeeding scene, naturally), and all three (straight) male leads taking turns snuggling up against each other in bed, it’s hard not to imagine some sort of sea change is in motion. (Although, I suspect, mainly in urban America, where everyone writing these articles and making these TV shows actually lives.)

That said, everyone is still totally broke and depressed. All of the writers and artists are trying to convince each other (and ourselves) that as long as we’re doing what we love for a living, we’ll be OK, because no matter what kind of job we had, we’d still be broke. It’s true! (I guess.)

Last night I ran into a filmmaker(/waiter) I know in the neighborhood. “I’m good till halfway through November,” he said in regards to his bank account. “And then I don’t know what happens after that.” I wanted to reply, “Well, I’m good till mid-December,” but I thought it might sound like bragging rather than commiseration. America!

The good news is: I’m finally enjoying working on the novel. Yesterday I outlined a bunch of chapters. There are a lot of holes. It all still feels really dangerous and delicate. I’m really not even sure I’m right about any of my ideas, but it does seem like there is some sort of momentum now. I have been feeling a kind of rhythm to the chapter structure, or perhaps even the sense that the book will progress in movements, as if it were a piece of classical music. I think this new book will take forever to write, although probably not nearly as long as I will remain unmarried in this life.

(10/12/11) | 3 Comments »