i went to the beach for the first time this summer with my family. before we left, my dad gave me my grandpa's old straw hat that he found when he died. it's strange how something so small could inspire me to take pictures. i had such a great time at the beach, drinking beer and eating good food with the people i'd save first if the world blew up. i read "the history of love" while i was there and began "everything is illuminated." jewish writers have such a knack for odd comparisons; subtle likes and ases. i also began noticing a difference between men and women writers. how women delve deeper into intimacy, describing how a person feels while men tend to get on with the story; jonathan safran foer being an exception because he seems to get deep into a certain emotion. he said something in illumintated about how we love because we love love, not because we actually love anything. my head is such a whirlwind. nashville is this weekend and i couldn't be more excited.