FB: Do you wanna read this post?
JJK: I’m busy with family
FB [lilting]: Tell me about the last 40 days of your life!
JJK: My aunt has dementia. I’m a human salad
FB: James Salter is verrrrrry important to me, professionally
JJK: If a professional copyeditor were to ask you out, and you weren’t married, would you?
FB: Would I what?
JJK: Would you consider?
FB: Consider what?
JJK [lilting]: would you consider taking her by the hand… leading her down the aisle… remembering all her most personal details…passwords, leggings sizes, ratios of incline…
FB: Like in literary theory?
JJK: A little!
FB: Wakefield. I’m worried about not being an activist?
JJK: Let’s talk it through. What’s wrong?
FB: Injustice. Social justice. Social injustice. Environmental catastrophe.
JJK: OK, and?
FB: We should be involved.
JJK: Join a synagogue?
FB: There aren’t any good ones nearby.
JJK: Get a PhD in sociology?
FB: Same.
JJK: Why don’t you and your wife make a list of 95 things that are important to you and post in Lutheran style on your door (fridge door) to remind you of what you think is very important
FB: That’s an adorable idea. What’s on the list?
JJK: You tell me?
FB: The ride in the wedding bus with other 30somethings, only 1/5 of whom you know, but everyone is wasted and mutually connected to Alixia and John.
JJK: A flame-retardant bunnysuit
FB: Climate change
JJK: Income inequality
FB: snarky book review culture
JJK: Attention deficit caused by pinterest, primarily by pinterest but also SEO
FB: Webinar fatigue
JJK: Student Debt Crisis
FB: various bubbles
JJK: Greece
FB: Ham; microwaving plastics and chemicals leaching into your food; leaching as a process more generally
JJK: I could continue alternating between actually serious issues and funny impressionistic worrying ideas but why would I?
FB: “You’re doing important cultural work”
JJK: Selfishness is a pretty gradient… I feel like I’m closer to the UV spectrum of selfishness, I will donate more money soon
FB: So the real list would be let’s say 10 things — income inequality, social justice (too broad?), campaign finance reform, climate change, poverty, hunger, some of these could be collapsed. Then once a week the two of you sit down and go through the list and resolve to do one thing for one of the things.
JJK: What would I do for “Social justice”?
FB: I don’t know.
JJK: Climate change?
FB: Solar panels?
JJK: campaign finance reform?
FB: I’d write a letter.
JJK: To whom?
[The anthropocene or whatever comes]