The Summer House by Masashi Matsuie (Translated by Margaret Mitsutani) [2025]

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:02:00 -0500

i thought it was a beautiful read
it was a slow book, a slice of life novel
young love and all its dramatized secrecy, emotions, honesty, confusion, purity, and fallouts
older mature relationships and all its endearment, complexities, and realities
an incredibly warm portrayal of community and companionship
the soft envelopment of dedicated, enriching work (wish this was me lol)
the unbridled joy of creation
the eerily silent yet quick passage of time where days and arcs seem long yet years and decades fly
and scattered throughout, a humble view into the world of architecture

Cities and Ambition — Paul Graham (2008)

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:46:04 -0500

Cities and Ambition ~3,600 words ~12 min read

alice sent me this, and it was an interesting read despite almost a decade passing since it was authored. i do see new york, sf, and berkeley reflect what he considered the messages of his time: focus on wealth, focus on power/prestige, and focus on living well. i would say that boston perhaps has not lived up to his expectations, but i also know nothing of boston really. what i suspect, though, is that intellectual production has shifted globally as the world adapted to a more digitally-connected world. many with ideas, creativity, and hunger for knowledge have been seemingly bypassing academia altogether and going straight into industry. chicago, where i am currently based, is interesting. it seems a bit more balanced and friendly. less comparison with one another and more focused on simply enjoying life? the conversations i’ve had here are much less clustered around wealth, prestige, and ambition, which has been a calm change of pace.

however, i’ve definitely not settled into the city yet to be comfortable saying too much about it. it’s been a bit hard to, especially as i knew very little people coming in. i also haven’t been intentional at all with it—mores o escaping abroad or spending time with my girlfriend in lieu of building a strong foundation in chicago. part of me also feels like my stay here is temporary, which makes me hesitant of planting and nurturing seeds in the city. but, i understand it is still all worth doing as relationships are the crux of life’s enjoyment. i just gotta set my mind to it and execute haha.

reads on Joseph Chen

The Summer House by Masashi Matsuie (Translated by Margaret Mitsutani) [2025]

Cities and Ambition — Paul Graham (2008)