It’s 1046pm. I’d like to write and publish something. I have many unfinished drafts in various stages of disarray. It often feels to me, when I’m tired, that it would be easier to write something fresh from scratch, than to try and finish something that’s halfway done.

I’m currently reading Lauren Graham’s Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember – I spotted it in the local library, and borrowed it for my wife because she watches Gilmore Girls. I’m really enjoying reading them myself as someone who’s trying to get better at writing essays.

I’m glancing through the reviews on goodreads to see what other people thought about it, and… I’m reminded of the limitations of a 5-star review system. I’d say that this collection of essays is basically perfect at being what it is, which is a lighthearted, chatty blitz through a series of kinda-random things that Lauren’s thought about. I agree with a lot of what reviewers saying. The 5-star reviews say things like “…it’s like catching up with an old friend! Lauren’s way of writing is so comforting.” and I actually agree even more with some of the 1-star reviews that say things like “What was the point of this book? It was just random thoughts written down.” Another says, “she writes like she talks and it’s hard reading run off sentence after run on sentence… Graham jumps from thought #2 to thought #3 and back to thought #1 after a few paragraphs later.” Another: “Long winded tales about small topics.” Those are all precisely the things that I like about this book!

I’m reminded of how what I enjoyed about Everything Everywhere All At Once was precisely what somebody put in a negative review of it.

I’m not saying that if you like my writing that you’ll necessarily like hers, and evidently even some Gilmore Girls fans don’t really like it either. But I’m personally getting a bunch out of it.