Every writer strives to “nail the phrase” that captures an idea or clinches a scene. The writer-as-reader both applauds and envies when another author does. So kudos to Ian Frazier (“Rereading ‘Lolita,’” The New Yorker, December 14, 2020), describing driving down Old Route 66 as an adult: “I’ll see something I remember from my childhood, and the tiny neural address that held the memory in my brain will still be there.” I hope Frazier did a jig when the phrase “tiny neural address” danced into his mind. For more of my thoughts on writing, see REFLECTIONS.
