“It’s not so easy writing about nothing.”

This idea recurs several times throughout M Train and forms one of the book’s central themes. Smith interrogates what Writing About Nothing means and reflects on the difficulties of capturing the essence of absence.

“It occurred to me, as the heavy curtains were opened and the morning light flooded the small dining area, that without a doubt we sometimes eclipse our own dreams with reality.”

There is a tension between Smith’s dreams and the reality she describes. Her dreams are often meaningfully connected to the things she experiences in her waking world, but here, Smith explores the false meanings that reality can impose on the world of the dream.

“Personally, I’m not much for symbolism. I never get it. Why can’t things be just as they are?”

Although Smith weaves a narrative full of allusions and symbolism, she also expresses a desire for things to be as they are. She craves experiences free of symbolism and metaphor where she can immerse herself in reality. This statement becomes increasingly ironic as the memoir progresses, as many everyday objects become imbued with deep, personal meanings.