Monday, May 20, 2013

smelling of nothing & pretending to be someone else

"Princeton, New Jersey, 1960s" [via]

I've been anxious to read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah since I heard her give a fantastic reading from the novel-in-progress last year at the Radcliffe Institute, long before I laid eyes on the book's beautiful opening paragraph: 
Princeton, in the summer, smelled of nothing, and although Ifemelu liked the tranquil greenness of the many trees, the clean streets and stately homes, the delicately overpriced shops, and the quiet, abiding air of earned grace, it was this, the lack of a smell, that most appealed to her, perhaps because the other American cities she knew well had all smelled distinctly. Philadelphia had the musty scent of history, New Haven smelled of neglect. Baltimore smelled of brine, and Brooklyn of sun-warmed garbage. But Princeton had no smell. She liked taking deep breaths here. She liked watching the locals who drove with pointed courtesy and parked their latest-model cars outside the organic grocery store on Nassau street or outside the sushi restaurants or outside the ice cream shop that had fifty different flavors including red pepper or outside the post office where effusive staff bounded out to greet them at the entrance. She liked the campus, grave with knowledge, the Gothic buildings with their vine-laced walls, and the way everything transformed, in the half-light of night, into a ghostly scene. She liked, most of all, that in this place of affluent ease, she could pretend to be someone else, someone specially admitted into a hallowed American club, someone adorned with certainty.
Adichie is back in town this week, reading from the recently released Americanah on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Harvard Book Store.  Local readers, I hope to see/smell some of you there!

5 comments:

Preets said...

It's an astonishing paragraph. I love "the quiet, abiding air of earned grace" and "someone adorned with certainty."

Unknown said...

20150608meiqing
ralph lauren outlet
michael kors outlet
cheap beats by dre
michael kors
ralph lauren outlet
ray ban glasses
lebron james shoes
ralph lauren uk
true religion
discount christian louboutin
kate spade outlet
louis vuitton
red christian louboutin
gucci outlet
christian louboutin sale
christian louboutin shoes
abercrombie store
coach outlet
chanel handbags
abercrombie
true religion sale
coach factorty outlet
hogan shoes
chanel handbags
coach outlet store online
louis vuitton handbags
tory burch outlet
oakley sunglass
coach handags
ray ban sungalsses

Unknown said...

2015-10-05 zhengjx
Louis Vuitton Outlet Authentic Handbags Discount
Louis Vuitton Handbags Outlet Online
coach outlet
hollister clothing
Cheap Michael Kors Handbags On Sale
Michael Kors Outlet Stores Online
cheap jordans
true religion outlet
uggs outlet
Jordan 6 Retro Discount Sale
nike trainers
Louis Vuitton Handbags Official USA Website
coach factory outlet
ugg boots sale
Louis Vuitton Handbags Outlet Sale
Michael Kors Outlet Online Store Clearance
canada goose jackets
Coach Outlet Store Online Free Shipping
Coach Outlet Store Online Clearance
Hollister UK Clothing Store
Abercrombie And Fitch Clothing Outlet at New York
louis vuitton
New Jordans Cheap For Sale
Cheap Toms Shoes Outlet Sale Clearance
toms outlet
celine handbags
Louis Vuitton Outlet Store Locations
Kobe Shoes,Kobe 9,Kobe 8 Discount
Louis Vuitton Handbags Outlet On Sale
Gucci Outlet Online 80% OFF

Unknown said...

cheap basketball shoes
five finger shoes
nike polo
chrome hearts
nike dunks
longchamp
pandora jewelry
adidas stan smith
michael kors outlet online
air jordan

hajar said...



شركة نقل عفش بالرياض وجدة والدمام والخبر والجبيل اولقطيف والاحساء والرياض وجدة ومكة المدينة المنورة والخرج والطائف وخميس مشيط وبجدة افضل شركة نقل عفش بجدة نعرضها مجموعة الفا لنقل العفش بمكة والخرج والقصيم والطائف وتبوك وخميس مشيط ونجران وجيزان وبريدة والمدينة المنورة وينبع افضل شركات نقل الاثاث بالجبيل والطائف وخميس مشيط وبريدة وعنيزو وابها ونجران المدينة وينبع تبوك والقصيم الخرج حفر الباطن والظهران
شركة نقل عفش بجدة
شركة نقل عفش بالمدينة المنورة
شركة نقل اثاث بالرياض
شركة نقل عفش بالدمام

Post a Comment