Desk Notes by Charles Schifano

In the São Paulo summer, the air is salty and thick and the rains are always just minutes away.
To care about the state and quality of writing today is to scream into a void while knowing that the void does nothing but laugh.
Nothing makes you doubt the merits of a music education more than a neighbor who takes up the violin.
You might recognize these undulations if you’ve ever struggled with a new language.

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Despite the desires of some readers, nobody should expect any good novels about Covid.
He will forever have grand plans for the world, and the world will forever disappoint him with its failures.
Most contemporary non-fiction books take three hundred pages to tell a one hundred page story.
When the dark-haired boy jumps into the street, I have the clearest view.
The year is 1955, and we’re in London, amid the bustle and pomp and fuss of a fashion house.
When you tell stories about your home, the stranger hears a travel narrative.
And now we’ve reached the time of year when the weather acts like a jester.
Later is a word for when you’re feeling sluggish and directionless and just a little bit glum, for when you’re avoiding what you must confront.
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Desk Notes by Charles Schifano

Exploring writing, travel, and literature—with a new issue every Friday.
Most Popular—Literature
Losing a LanguageYou might recognize these undulations if you’ve ever struggled with a new language.
A Writer's WriterWhat it takes to finish the novel.
The Weight of SincerityIris Murdoch grips her pen a tad firmer than most writers.
Most Popular—Personal
IceThe first hints of dawn come with a soft violet color now that the colder days have arrived.
Transfer at 42ndApparent victims always give you the most remarkable looks—and I do write from experience.
The Passing DayHow does distance affect our perception of time?
Most Popular—Travel
A Border TownWhat makes a border town?
AddressesThe real map is a hidden network of relationships, memories, and associations.
Collapsible DistancesHow does speed change our perception of distance?

Desk Notes by Charles Schifano

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