Life’s Little Coincidences

i love life’s little coincidences.

Signs that seem to whisper affirmations in your ear, “you’re doing okay. you’re on the right path.”

last night, i was reading The Fortress of Solitude. Have any of you read it? At first, I didn’t like it. Remember those giant Jawbreakers, the Mega Bruisers? That’s what Jonathan Lethem‘s writing is like. I want to read more, get to the next level, the next color, even if it means sacrificing my tongue, my enamel, and my temporomandibular joint.

This is the second time I’ve trekked through Lethem’s Brooklyn. Last spring, I read Motherless Brooklyn, which rumor has Edward Norton releasing as a film in 2009. In _Fortress_, Lethem’s Brooklyn becomes more tangible. As I’m reading, I’m wandering through Boerem Hill, Gowanus, Red Hook, and other neighborhoods that could be fact or fiction but are clearly distinct in my mind.

But…this is no book review. Simply some background information that _Fortress of Solitude_ is a book about race relations, parenting, and other topics that may be hard to swallow if they were force fed on whole rather than presented as lickable layers that add up to an addictive treat.

Last night, this is one of the last paragraphs that I read (on page 124 of my copy):

“Just pass that test. Your life depends on it. You think this is bad, wait until high school. If you don’t get into Stuyvesant or at least Bronx Science you’re dead. That’s how the test works, highest scores get into Stuyvesant, next highest Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech’s a last resort. Sarah J. Hale or John Jay, those places are practically like prison. A teacher got shot at Sarah J. Hale, it was on TV.”

I’ve heard about Stuyvesant. Bronx Science? Brooklyn Tech? Sarah J. Hale? John Jay? Without knowing the other schools by reputation, I can picture Sarah J. Hale as a housing unit for neglected youths.

What does this have to do with life’s little signs or coincidences?

As part of my job, I review resumes to fill certain positions. In general, I think it’s gauche to see high school diplomas acknowledged on resumes.

Today, this was on a resume that I received:

Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY
High School Diploma in Chemistry, June 19XX

Perfect. timing.

…so, hi, i’m revisingproust and that is my introduction.

Tags: Edward Norton, Fortress of Solitude, Gowanus, job, Jonathan Lethem, Motherless Brooklyn, race, Red Hook, resume, Writing

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