gwyn's uncharitable interpretation of why I didn't like KRZ is because the writing wasn't clever enough for me. she's so right, I *do* desire cleverness in writing. it's one of my favourite things. every give gwyn spinach treats next you see her

I've been trying to figure out precisely what I don't like about KRZ's writing so I can properly communicate it. "lack of cleverness" is pretty close but I guess it's also the fact that it's like, the pastoral/quiet imagery of it is offputting to me since I had to live like that for large chunks of my childhood and I hated it

it really evokes those times and spaces to me and it makes me feel frustrated—like pit-in-my-stomach levels of "I gotta get out of here." so in that sense the art has succeeded in evoking emotions in me

my deep lore is that when I had to live in muskoka every summer without internet I would download wikipedia articles using the free wifi at the laundromat, then spend the rest of the week reading them until I got to go the next time. it fucking sucked to go without stimulation for so long. it got a bit better after I started working 40-60 hour weeks in the local kitchen but I still hated the quiet nights and overwhelming lack of people.

it really seemed like everyone around me was orthogonal to me. there wasn't really anyone my age, and those that were only wanted to party. that's cool for them but it was alienating. I just ended up making my own fun for myself. got really into my own head, inventing fantastical stories and giving myself math problems to solve