“238. I want you to know, if you ever read this, there was a time when I would rather have had you by my side than any one of these words; I would rather have had you by my side than all the blue in the world. 239. But now you are talking as if love were a consolation. Simone Weil warned otherwise. “Love is not consolation,” she wrote. “It is light.” 240. All right then, let me try to rephrase. When I was alive, I aimed to be a student not of longing but of light.”
In this thought-provoking essay collection, the author delves into the multifaceted nature of the color blue, examining its significance in art, literature, and personal experiences. The essays offer a unique perspective on the emotional and symbolic meanings associated with blue, weaving together personal reflections with historical and cultural insights. more
Maggie Nelson (b. 1973) is an American poet, essayist, and critic known for her genre-defying works that blend poetry, memoir, theory, and criticism. Her writing explores themes of gender, violence, family, and art. Her acclaimed book 'The Argonauts' won the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award and became a landmark in queer theory and autobiographical writing. Nelson's unique style combines first-person narrative with philosophical inquiry, challenging traditional literary categories. She has taught at the California Institute of the Arts and the University of Southern California, and currently lives in Los Angeles. more
“And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
“Sometimes light illuminates things that are better left in the dark.”
“The people who love you will guide you like bright lights into the other worlds.”
“My first memory is of light -- the brightness of light -- light all around.”