i was putting away the books that were pouring out my suitcases and looking at the new translation of szymborska that denis gave me with a final remark in the inscription querying if i would let myself turn out to be a "novelist extraordinaire" or "submissive housewife". i pondered the two options, as well as variations and combinations: "housewife extraordinaire?" "submissive novelist?" "submissive extraordinaire?" (alright, i think not the last.) although it takes too much trouble to be an anything extraordinaire and i'm too lazy for that. i think "erudite loafer" is good enough for me.