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In his essay "The Storyteller," Benjamin parses out the different characteristics, not of structure, but of the worldview of storytelling (as in: around a campfire), the short story, and the novel. He reflects on collective vs individual memory, the impatience of modernity (don't get me started), and how the absence of death and the view of eternity it provides has shaped fiction, in general.

Now we're starting to hit the sections on being stuck as a creative artist and how to work through some of that stickiness.

"The Task of the Translator" presents several thoughts on translation, including the very interesting question of one's linguistic machismo when translating. Should the translator impose his language on the one being translated, or should he allow the language being translated to inform and even form his own?

After a 63 page long introduction (which is really quite good), I'm finally into the actual essays, beginning with the downright funny, yet acutely insightful, "Unpacking My Library," which every book-lover should read, but, more especially, every book collector.

The urging to plan a particular, regular time to create and the notion that creativity comes and goes hit particularly hard. So, I'm contemplating how or when to do a regular practice, knowing that sometimes my work will be crap, sometimes it will be brilliant. Either way, I need to be more intentional in providing myself regular opportunities to engage with my writing passion.

I don't think I will finish this in the next two weeks, which is a shame. I'm headed for Europe for a week of work, then a week of mostly walking in The Netherlands and Belgium. I won't take this book with me, in all likelihood, as I will want to be concentrating on my own walking.

Lots of little gems in this book.

I can already tell I'm going to have a lot of notes from this book.

This Wordsworth fellow . . . I think I should read some of his poetry, maybe.

Strange to trace the development of "nature" walks over time. The differences in attitude toward natural paths versus groomed walkways, along with differences among class perceptions of landscape and walking itself, not to mention regional preferences, show a more variegated landscape than the modern reader might expect.

Okay, so that's how you overthrow a galactic empire and establish your rule. Got it. Helpful information, just in case . . .

I need more labyrinth walking in my life.