David Runciman in LRB: ‘The games I play each day are almost embarrassingly simple; there are far tougher ones that I avoid because they would take too long and would probably leave me with a sense of impending disaster.’

And: ‘It is only when playing the game that these scores matter because only then do they give the players a structure within which they can try to be their best selves. By contrast, bad games pretend that their scores have an independent meaning.’

As well: ‘The only thing worse than arriving at a party where you have misunderstood the dress code is arriving at a party where there is a dress code you haven’t been told about.’

And: ‘But if that’s the choice and those are the rules, I don’t think I want to go to the party at all.’

Only go to parties if you’re getting paid.

(a sf 2143)