16 Comments
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Rick Lewis's avatar

"The point is to push back against the gravitational pull of fake, performative living." Gosh yes! Raising a glass to this. Thanks for the review and this potent sentence. This alone charges me up.

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Jeff Giesea's avatar

Thanks Rick!

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John Fariello's avatar

Right on! Why couldn't someone have explained this to me when I was in my 20s? It's taken a long while but I'm getting there.

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Jeff Giesea's avatar

Same! And yet, even if I'd known this in my 20s, it would still happen to me. I think it's just part of living and maturing.

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Helen Roy's avatar

Loved this.

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Jeff Giesea's avatar

Thanks Helen

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CansaFis Foote's avatar

…this idea is so sharp Jeff…been sitting on my mind since you said it to me…the digging of determining what these truths are for me is a tug of war and that feels worthy even if I haven’t determined my beautiful or ugly truths yet…i guess this goes to say bravo to The Wedding People also for not only inspiring these thoughts in you, but also spreading them to this mass…that is what good art does…

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Jeff Giesea's avatar

Thanks, Cansa. You helped with the digging and I am grateful. My impression is that you're pretty attuned to yourself, so maybe your closet's clean. Still, try looking in the dark corners and under the carpet. ;)

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CansaFis Foote's avatar

…if you have ever seen me on a zoom call i can ensure you my closet is overflowing…

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Brian B's avatar

Good stuff. Going through midlife stuff right now. Humility should be something we practice continually so we aren't caught off-guard when we fail or even, God forbid, hit rock bottom.

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Jeff Giesea's avatar

The fact that you recognize you're going through midlife stuff puts you ahead of the game. I'm landing from some of that stuff myself. It's humbling AF (lol), but there's good stuff on the other side of it. Good luck with it, and thanks for reading.

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Lee Bacon's avatar

I just started listening to this today! Great first chapter.

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Jeff Giesea's avatar

Nice! Let me know what you think.

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Bo's avatar

Very thoughtful review Jeff and wise words.

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Jeff Giesea's avatar

Thanks Bo

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Will's avatar

Would be curious for you to share more of the fiction you are reading, particularly as contemporary male-oriented fiction landscape feels kind of barren, as I think we’ve discussed. I know Ross Barkan is starting a new book review called Metropolitan Review.

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