February 2024: On Hiding the Embarrassing Songs
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I want to talk about the embarrassing things I used to listen to, and then forget they ever happened. On Hiding...
January 2024: Contextualizing the Ten Weeks of Darkness
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, we’ve just exited the “darkest ten weeks of the year,” and (as with anything relating to time) we need a little...
December 2023: A Clumsy Metaphor About the Sioux Falls
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I'd like to talk for a bit about the Sioux Falls, and also be dour about this past year. A Clumsy Metaphor About...
November 2023: Eight Paragraphs about Grand Jury Duty
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I'd like to let you know about how grand jury duty's been going over the past 13 months. Eight Paragraphs about...
October 2023: Crisis as Building Blocks
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I want to talk about the crises we encounter, their very big impact on our lives, and how they help shape the...
September 2023: Poptimism
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I want to talk very quickly about poptimism and the idea of "good news." Poptimism I’m pretty tired. We’re all...
August 2023: I Organized My Records
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I want to talk about how I reorganized my record collection, which means I spent somewhere between four hours...
July 2023: The Frequency
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I want to talk about the perils of grind culture, what it’s like when you feel like you’re falling behind, and a...
June 2023: The Canon Silhouette
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I want to talk about the canon silhouette of the Teton Range, and why that relates to the archetypes of...
May 2023: The Systems Within Us
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I need to talk about the physics engine behind the new The Legend of Zelda game — and how difficult it is to...
April 2023: It’s the Anticipation that Kills You
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I need to let you all know that I’m giving a talk next week and I’m endlessly nervous. So here are some thoughts...
March 2023: Things I Don't Remember
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I’m going to respond to a common podcast question: “When was the first time you … ,“ because, for the life of...
February 2023: Seeing the Past (Through Two New Lenses)
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I’m going to wring my hands over being old, when in fact I’m not old at all, really. Also, I’m going to talk...
January 2023: An Approximation of Art
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I wrote about a personal frustration with the concept of AI-created art and writing, along with a short...
December 2022: About That Time I Got Stuck in the Snow
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I wrote about how I got stuck in the snow, and how that can be a metaphor for whatever you’d like it to be....
November 2022: It Snowed, and I’m Trying to Write a Book
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I wrote about a week of opposites — from a sunny cruise to a weekday snowstorm — and how that led to some deep...
October 2022: Returning Over and Over Again
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I wrote a quick story about seeing Wilco for the third time, and then I try to use it as a metaphor for the...
September 2022: The Expectations We Create
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I wrote a quick story about seeing Wilco for the third time, and then I try to use it as a metaphor for the...
August 2022: On Demystifying Our Lives
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I wrote about how we interpret complexity and the importance of helping others demystify complexity. On...
July 2022: When My World Was Sunny Day Real Estate
Hey, there. I made you a mixtape. But first, I wrote about self-centered fandom — more specifically, about my own dip into emo from 1994 - 2000. When My...