The 30 | Experiment
A super interesting blog post by Robin Sloan sparked an idea for me. He poked at the following question: "what does it mean to publish something in the 21st century?" So I started thinking about an adjacent inquiry: how do you create a story, with any medium, that declutters the attention landscape around it?
Notice my verbs.
I don't imagine a theoretical story that cuts through the clutter, to use a terrible cliche. Instead, I desire something that declutters. I'm curious about stories (experiences would be better, but...) that contain enough force to bend the space-time around you. I certainly aspire to create journalism / poetry / experiences with that mass.
However, I hypothesize that decluttering requires not only mass but also intent.
I want to try to create that second element for you. So halfway through each month in 2020 -- let's say the 15th to keep delivery consistent -- I'll send you just one thing (not necessarily lengthy) to read / watch / listen and maybe a few of my thoughts about that thing. The goal: you immerse yourself and let that one link declutter your attention space for however long you need it to do so.
I'll still share the standard missive at month's end, and this counts as one, so poetry to finish.
The nights of November deserve verse that unspools. Savor it like that last bite of homemade cranberry sauce.