Essays

The Solitude Paradox

For months I have been searching for an opening to this essay. On walks and bus journeys, I have turned sentences over in my mind, only to discard them soon afterwards. One was…

I WAS HERE: The Subtle Art of Underlining

For several years now I have been reading In Search of Lost Time together with an older woman. Or, I think I have. I do not actually know her age, or her gender, but I can still…

The Art of the Diarist

When you do things in public, things happen that you could never have expected. You might say that surprises are, in principle, the only thing to be sure of. One such moment…

The Unfolding of The Bagatelles

Building up pressure can be a good thing and, if you need a recipe, try being a young first-time parent, never sleeping well, working constantly with other people’s demands, and…

93 notes to myself

You are at a party, you know no one, but intend to change that. Or you are new to the job market, without yet knowing what you want to do. Or you start an English-language…

The Bergman Island Blog

I’m related to Ingmar Bergman. Though I doubt he would have claimed to be related to me. That’s how it works with the truly famous — you look for the faintest thread, hoping to…