Tengo gets woken up early Friday morning, by a call from Komatsu. In his usual style, Komatsu does not bother with introductions or apologies. And Tengo surmises that Komatsu must have stayed up all night once he thought of a reason to call; he hadn’t woken up early just to call Tengo. Komatsu wants to know if Tengo owns a word processor. Tengo doesn’t, but he does use them at work, and knows how to operate one. Komatsu gives Tengo permission to buy himself a word processor. Komatsu wants Tengo to start rewriting Air Chrysalis right away, even though Tengo must still meet Fuka-Eri’s mystery person before she will give Tengo her permission to rewrite the story. Nevertheless, Komatsu wants Tengo to get started.
Tengo usually meets with his older girlfriend on Fridays. Today, however, she calls and says that she isn’t feeling right, meaning, she is on her period. So, she says she will be unable to meet. Tengo is unconcerned because once he has decided to throw himself into the rewrite, he wants to focus on it. “Ideas were welling up inside him like life-forms stirring in a primordial sea.”
Tengo goes and buys a word processor, a portable version of the ones he uses at work. Then he starts rewriting Air Chrysalis. His process is to type in a chunk, and constantly revise it, adding here and subtracting there, until the writing reaches a kind of equilibrium, and no more can be added or taken away. Then, he prints out what he’s got so far, and does some editing by hand. This is a different and necessary way of editing writing. Tengo must go through both steps - the digital editing and the analog editing. After about five hours, Tengo needs to clear his head. But, he realizes that he has made good progress, the novella has bulked up, but Tengo has crafted the writing into something a little more cohesive, with a more natural flow.
Tengo goes to buy groceries for dinner. When he gets back, Fuka-Eri calls. She confirms the time and location of where Tengo is to meet her acquaintance on Sunday. She tells Tengo that he must buy a train ticket to anywhere, and then they will adjust the price when they end up wherever they are going. Tengo asks Fuka-Eri how closely she is connected to the events depicted in Air Chrysalis - the blind goat, being locked in isolation for ten days. Fuka-Eri says she does not talk about the goat.
Tengo usually meets with his older girlfriend on Fridays. Today, however, she calls and says that she isn’t feeling right, meaning, she is on her period. So, she says she will be unable to meet. Tengo is unconcerned because once he has decided to throw himself into the rewrite, he wants to focus on it. “Ideas were welling up inside him like life-forms stirring in a primordial sea.”
Tengo goes and buys a word processor, a portable version of the ones he uses at work. Then he starts rewriting Air Chrysalis. His process is to type in a chunk, and constantly revise it, adding here and subtracting there, until the writing reaches a kind of equilibrium, and no more can be added or taken away. Then, he prints out what he’s got so far, and does some editing by hand. This is a different and necessary way of editing writing. Tengo must go through both steps - the digital editing and the analog editing. After about five hours, Tengo needs to clear his head. But, he realizes that he has made good progress, the novella has bulked up, but Tengo has crafted the writing into something a little more cohesive, with a more natural flow.
Tengo goes to buy groceries for dinner. When he gets back, Fuka-Eri calls. She confirms the time and location of where Tengo is to meet her acquaintance on Sunday. She tells Tengo that he must buy a train ticket to anywhere, and then they will adjust the price when they end up wherever they are going. Tengo asks Fuka-Eri how closely she is connected to the events depicted in Air Chrysalis - the blind goat, being locked in isolation for ten days. Fuka-Eri says she does not talk about the goat.
No comments:
Post a Comment