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There’s something about the faces of everyone in my family and in mine. I think you can see in our eyes the kind of sadness, which is in two places at once—mourning the past, grieving the future. Sad in a historically significant and visually satisfying way. Looking sad like it’s your job.
What was he doing these days? Consulting, probably.
Folklore and Mythology was a real major. It was a campus joke. But it was also a source of pride. How much more liberal-arts-college could you get?
You can’t pretend you don’t give a shit when you’re comping a secret society. You clearly care, a lot.
The thing about being at Harvard is that in order to be there at all, you would have had to be the kind of person who applies to Harvard. You weren’t necessarily a megalomaniac if you went to Harvard, but it helped if you were.
The effect of my withholding on other people was fascinating. Typically, the more distant I was with them, the more passionately they pursued a relationship I’m not even sure they wanted.
Nathaniel lived in Eliot House, which is by the Charles River, so in order to pick me up he would either need to take a shuttle or walk a good twenty minutes to my dorm on the Quad. Then from there, we would have to retrace his steps because Kirkland House, the location of the party, was also a dorm by the Charles River; in fact, it was right next to Eliot House. None of this occurred to me when I made my ask, nor when he agreed.
Does not even capture the absurdity of asking someone to go from Eliot to the quad on their way to Kirkland
I was addicted to being evaluated.
she began the meeting by reading through the names of past alumni. This happened at a lot of first meetings at Harvard and the names could get ridiculous.
Putting Harvard next to your name reminds the world that you are committing four years to being socialized at the institutionest of institutions. You’ll be fine being told what to do.
I became so self-conscious about the expressions I was making or not making that I forgot entirely how faces worked.
Unless it is read, a book is just an object. There are no holy texts without believers to read them.
he was handling his feelings privately, which is something I heard adults did sometimes.

