Hope everyone had a thrilling New Year’s Eve. Now that we’re settled into it being quite cold over here in New York City, I figured it might be a good time to make yourself a cup of coffee, cover yourself with a blanket on the most comfortable couch/bed/chair in your home, and read our book club selection for January, Cosmicomics by that Italian master of ideas Italo Calvino.
In Cosmicomics, Calvino writes of subjects as thrilling as lunar orbits and the first animals to walk on land (while at the same time writing about the relationship between the sign, signifier, and signified) with the playfulness and charm of a retelling of treasured childhood memories. It’s an extraordinary book, and one that I recommend to nearly everyone I care about who likes fun things.
It pairs well with any coffee that one might describe as both bright and complex, as well as a cappuccino, with intricate art on top and a deep, satisfying marriage of espresso and milk underneath. You have plenty of time to finish it before our meeting at Park Ave at 8pm on Monday the 23rd.