Short Days

Every successful text should teach us how to read it. Does Sarah Manguso's text do this? How does "Short Days" work? How do you connect these pithy little statements to each other? What is their overall effect? Why is it called "Short Days"? What did you expect after reading that title? This is listed under the contents as "Nonfiction." How does that affect your reading of it? Do you know what an aphorism is? It's a brief saying that, by its memorable nature and sometimes wisdom, often becomes a cliche ("When it rains, it pours."). But Manguso has crafted all of these very carefully, there's not a cliche among them. Which is your favorite aphorism and why? What aphorism do you have questions about?