Muted

The past week was very quiet.

Sunday night I felt a pain in my left ear. Monday afternoon I underwent scrutiny at Health Services: the doctor peering through the ear-scope said, “Oh boy” and told me I had a nasty middle ear infection.  Tuesday morning, I woke up and realized I couldn’t hear anything from my left ear. The doctor had said that my hearing would be muffled for a while and so it was.

At first, things went badly. I almost slept past my morning alarm. I had to repeat my order thrice at Meeting Street Cafe and was forced to make an awkward drinking gesture to get a glass of water from the waiter. And when I went to watch a play downtown, I missed all my friend’s whispers.

The Dip

Towards the end of last semester I undertook a long-form article about the sophomore slump. It was published in Post- magazine this semester. The Post- has a great website, so I figured instead of posting the original I’d just re-direct you there. The piece was originally entitled “The Dip”, had a different ending, and had footnotes.

Click to read the article at Post- magazine.

Oh, and one more thing: I have a small surprise coming up for long-time readers. As thanks for sticking around.

Starry, Starry Night

I spent the past summer in Providence. College had been over for two weeks when I moved into my apartment; midterms and papers seemed a distant memory. I settled into the slow pace of research like one falls asleep in a deep armchair: gradually and comfortably. My room had a box fan, the living room an XBox, and the fridge a tub of brownie ice-cream. Life, in short, was complete.

But contentment seldom lasts; it is far too restless.