Commonplace : February 2020
The more we’re governed by idiots and have no control over our destinies, the more we need to tell stories to each other about who we are, why we are, where we come from, and what might be possible. – Alan Rickman
Forgive me a bit of self-indulgence
I published a new book today. It’s called “Take On Me” and it’s “A Story about Love, Grief, Food, Music, and the people who accept you exactly as you are.” which is the most succinct way I can explain it. I’ve got a blog post up if you want to read a bit more about it.
I made a website for it to house the book and it’s purchase links along with it’s associated ephemera.
For now there is a list of mixtapes you can stream on Spotify, but soon there will also be reference lists and essays on inspirations and other things that round out the world of this book. It’s made up of things I love, after all, so if you enjoy this newsletter chances are you’ll enjoy the book, too.
I would love it if you grabbed a copy. I’m partial to the print edition with it’s snazzy graphic design, but I know folks like the digital as well these days. There are a bunch of digital purchase options on the website! Read it and take from it what you need. Pass it along to someone who would love it. Review it on Amazon or Goodreads if you care to, it would really help me out.
Wisdom & Websites
“I always read a lot. I read the same amount, no matter what season it is. I read every night. When I’m on book tour, I’m on airplanes all the time, so I’m always reading. People say, ‘How do you have time to read?’ Oh, come on, it’s simple! You’re single and you don’t watch television.” — John Waters
The Deep Sea - Just keep scrolling. It’s worth it, trust me.
Good skill. It’s the nicest, most comforting thing to hear, and over the years, we’ve talked about what makes the phrase so great. It’s not so much a denouncement of the role luck and timing can play in these moments (aka a huge role) as it is an acknowledgement that all you have control over are your skills and competencies. Plus, it’s a vote of confidence that the person on the other end of the phrase thinks you’ve got the stuff to achieve your goal. It just plain feels great to hear. - Tyler Calder, Girls Night In newsletter
Thread by robin on Rosegarden - An excellent collection of thoughts on managing harm on social media sites presented as a fake social media site.
Reduce the noise. - Frater Acher
Legible News - This scratches that itch I have for a simple feed of the world’s news on a daily basis without being basically clickbait to encourage me to buy a subscription to a certain NYC-based venerable institution.
Favorite Reads Of The Month
Why I Am Not Coming In To Work Today - The Toast
Get a drastic haircut
The Disturbing Case of the Disappearing Sci-Fi Story | WIRED
“‘I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter’ struck me as a complex, ugly, lovely story: partially satire and partially an attempt to reckon with the complexities of gender identity,” @asher_elbein tweeted. “I get why some folks didn’t like it, but the author withdrawing it is a tragedy.”
The Car Cassette Adapter Was an Unsung Hero at the Dawn of the Digital Age - VICE
If you’re still driving an old beater of a car, it might be the one thing keeping Google Maps pulsating through your speakers.
But in prior generations, it might have driven your iPod, or a Sony Discman. (Depending on how long you’ve been driving said beater, perhaps even the same adapter.) It’s a fairly cheap device, and while it might look like a tape, it’s really more of an amplifier of sorts.
Status Update
Currently Reading: To Be Taught, If Fortunate - Very different in feel from the rest of Becky Chambers’ oeuvre. Quieter, more meditative.
Currently Listening: Found a few new things! Haley Williams of Paramore is releasing a solo album. There’s an ep out there and it’s very different. Some of it has My Brightest Diamond vibes. I was also introduced to The Mars Volta and Wye Oak recently, both worth checking out.
Currently Working On: Just getting Take On Me out the door has been occupying a lot of time. I need to reset myself and my schedules now that it’s in the hands of the readers.