Hello there! 👋

New season. Back to school. Japanese class. Toastmasters. Workshops. Conferences. Conference prep. I am off to Toronto this weekend for Protocols for Publishers ✨, my side project. (There is a significant amount going on for my main project, but my commitment for PfP✨ predated that).

There has not been much time to blog this month. I have been thinking about writing more. Reading Soil and Soul (see below) is inspirational. Alastair McIntosh writes poetically about the Hebrides and has me considering a new approach for my long-standing book project… or maybe it is actually a different book project? Regardless, I find myself outlining furiously.

While in Toronto next week I will get the opportunity to have a drink with my old editor at The Literary Review of Canada. The seeds are being pushed into the ground before the freeze. Over the winter they will rest under the frost. And in an upcoming season, I sense new writing will bloom.

Enjoy the pumpkin spice and we shall meet again on All Hallow’s Eve!

— Chad

🖋 From the Blog

Academic paper roundup on slop, brainrot, and enshittification
A review of papers about our damnable tech scene.

🧭 Elsewhere

One last walk in the forest before the leaves turn Photos →

Spent the day at the powwow Photos →

Remember, everyone deserves mettā Meme →

Canned sushi 🍣 Link →

Massive poster of Tokyo subway station stamps Link →

Climate change for digital natives Link →

📖 What I’m Reading

Soil and Soul: People Versus Corporate Power by Alastair McIntosh
(55% Complete)

A beautifully written account of spiritual politics and the "land back" movement in northwestern Scotland. Reading this unlocked something in my mind about how to write about my experience on Iki during COVID. Totally different story, but when I reflect back on what I learned on that tiny island it is amazing how much human history and culture can be concentrated in one place. Islands!

2026 is the year I leave GoodReads. Since January I have been using 📘 Hardcover which has been a delight. Connect with me there: https://hardcover.app/@chadkoh