They keep saying “We don’t know enough about her.” They keep asking “But how would she govern?” She’s been telling us all along. And never clearer than Tuesday night at the Ellipse.
Excellent piece. I love the precision with which your carved out what it is that makes Kamala so exceptional. She's risen through a patriarchal system without compromising her ability to care deeply (and fight) for others.
The day that I finish a piece, I collapse with mindless cable series, so had no energy for anything but a “thank you.” Having gotten some sleep, I want to add an extra thanks for “getting it.” This was a piece written with my brain and heart focused on Kamala and what the media—even the positive supporters—miss about her.
Great writing. The sentences recalling your parents genuinely moved me. Your style and voice elevate political reportage to literature. It's warm and human, visceral and compelling; touching my heart as well as my mind. Such immence talent. I wish I had it.
Thank you so much! I’d be so appreciative if you’d put your description of my “style and voice” on Substack notes. I try to offer something different than the reportage that we get from so much election-focused commentary. It means a lot to me that you get that.
yes, we are in an ellipse state. we are in a dot.dot.dot state; you are so right. Watching Kamala and Michele everything feels suddenly clean and clear; the crowd, the cheers, the hope, the good-hearted faces. It is known to be very hard for traumatized people to bear hope; it so often led to disappointment, and worse -- agony and despair. This election week and the lead-up have put me in a tsunami of anticipatory anxiety and despair. One of my beloved dogs is likely dying. I watch his breathing, I administer fluids daily (renal failure), I try specially cooked fresh meats to stimulate his waning appetite. Will America survive? Can magic or hard work be injected? I know people knocking on doors in swing states. They say 95% of the people, clearly at home, don't answer. I know people writing out postcards. I know people avoiding the topic altogether. I know people canceling newspaper subscriptions. I know people in that "frozen state" we've labeled sitting on couches under blankets endlessly bingeing junk tv. I know that Kamala and Tim and Michele and others will never give up. There is a "wanting to know." There is desire for relief. My "healthy" dog is eating less in solidarity. I try gratitude exercises and it's like scratching at a concrete wall. We're all just so tired and disappointed. Kamala remains a shining, vivid avatar, a place-holder. For some reason I think ahead to Thanksgiving. Will we know anything? Will blood have been shed, uselessly? My family has dwindled; some are far away. I have decided to deliver uncooked turkeys to wherever I can, or hand out meals. After several days of nightmares, I had a dream this morning in which I was suddenly incredibly powerful. There were at least a dozen people in my therapy office. I had more than double-booked! But I turned it around. I turned it into group therapy. People advised each other. I facilitated, organized people into pairs, and calmed down the arrogant, tall man. I used comedy and empathy. I was unstoppable. It was a great dream.
Dear Ms. Klein, Retired psychologist here. Your Substack response to Susan Bordo resonated with me. Especially, your emotions and your concerns about your dogs. BTW, my mother's maiden name was Klein. Please write back if and when interested. With your permission, perhaps we could discuss your fascinating dream?
Oh yes. 12 people in the office. Turning individual sessions into dyads and small groups within a larger group. You facilitate while groups reframe issues with and for each other. Irvin Yallom. These images represent your way to conceptualize and reconstruct life's adversities within your coping style. Very positive.
A wonderful expressed statement that I read to mean Mrs Harris has all that is necessary to understand the nature of power over others and to be very careful - as it is the essence of leadership .
It also adds a astute intellectual treatise on the subject hardly expressed elsewhere
I loved this line of yours about the ellipse: "We are standing in the middle of those dots. How will the sentence end? We used to know after the votes were counted. We can’t even be sure of that any more."
Excellent piece. I love the precision with which your carved out what it is that makes Kamala so exceptional. She's risen through a patriarchal system without compromising her ability to care deeply (and fight) for others.
Thank you!
The day that I finish a piece, I collapse with mindless cable series, so had no energy for anything but a “thank you.” Having gotten some sleep, I want to add an extra thanks for “getting it.” This was a piece written with my brain and heart focused on Kamala and what the media—even the positive supporters—miss about her.
Great writing. The sentences recalling your parents genuinely moved me. Your style and voice elevate political reportage to literature. It's warm and human, visceral and compelling; touching my heart as well as my mind. Such immence talent. I wish I had it.
Thank you so much! I’d be so appreciative if you’d put your description of my “style and voice” on Substack notes. I try to offer something different than the reportage that we get from so much election-focused commentary. It means a lot to me that you get that.
yes, we are in an ellipse state. we are in a dot.dot.dot state; you are so right. Watching Kamala and Michele everything feels suddenly clean and clear; the crowd, the cheers, the hope, the good-hearted faces. It is known to be very hard for traumatized people to bear hope; it so often led to disappointment, and worse -- agony and despair. This election week and the lead-up have put me in a tsunami of anticipatory anxiety and despair. One of my beloved dogs is likely dying. I watch his breathing, I administer fluids daily (renal failure), I try specially cooked fresh meats to stimulate his waning appetite. Will America survive? Can magic or hard work be injected? I know people knocking on doors in swing states. They say 95% of the people, clearly at home, don't answer. I know people writing out postcards. I know people avoiding the topic altogether. I know people canceling newspaper subscriptions. I know people in that "frozen state" we've labeled sitting on couches under blankets endlessly bingeing junk tv. I know that Kamala and Tim and Michele and others will never give up. There is a "wanting to know." There is desire for relief. My "healthy" dog is eating less in solidarity. I try gratitude exercises and it's like scratching at a concrete wall. We're all just so tired and disappointed. Kamala remains a shining, vivid avatar, a place-holder. For some reason I think ahead to Thanksgiving. Will we know anything? Will blood have been shed, uselessly? My family has dwindled; some are far away. I have decided to deliver uncooked turkeys to wherever I can, or hand out meals. After several days of nightmares, I had a dream this morning in which I was suddenly incredibly powerful. There were at least a dozen people in my therapy office. I had more than double-booked! But I turned it around. I turned it into group therapy. People advised each other. I facilitated, organized people into pairs, and calmed down the arrogant, tall man. I used comedy and empathy. I was unstoppable. It was a great dream.
Dear Ms. Klein, Retired psychologist here. Your Substack response to Susan Bordo resonated with me. Especially, your emotions and your concerns about your dogs. BTW, my mother's maiden name was Klein. Please write back if and when interested. With your permission, perhaps we could discuss your fascinating dream?
happy for resonance. you had thoughts about the dream?
Oh yes. 12 people in the office. Turning individual sessions into dyads and small groups within a larger group. You facilitate while groups reframe issues with and for each other. Irvin Yallom. These images represent your way to conceptualize and reconstruct life's adversities within your coping style. Very positive.
A wonderful expressed statement that I read to mean Mrs Harris has all that is necessary to understand the nature of power over others and to be very careful - as it is the essence of leadership .
It also adds a astute intellectual treatise on the subject hardly expressed elsewhere
A pleasure
I loved this line of yours about the ellipse: "We are standing in the middle of those dots. How will the sentence end? We used to know after the votes were counted. We can’t even be sure of that any more."
Whether or not the word 'fascist' is misused, there's little doubt that the US is frighteningly close to a 1933 moment, with all the dangers that implies. Here's my take, published today: https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2024/11/reality-checks.html
Fantastic, once again, Susan. But I think you mean Dobbs (not Dodds)! 😊
Well done, Susan! I’ve been furious with Anderson too and you put it into words with clear precision.