May 21Member-onlyThe Challenge of Utopia in Science FictionDystopias are easy. Like humor, Utopias aren’t. — Utopia is the happily ever after where most stories end because, well, the comfort of living in day to day bliss gets same old… which makes it clear why conflict is a storytelling essential. These 8 authors built ideal future worlds — societies where mutual cooperation evolved (or was forced)…Solarpunk9 min readSolarpunk9 min read
Apr 20Member-onlyMurderbot, Beryl Markham & Transcending Chauvinistic StereotypesThe uplifting shock of discovering and purging subconscious tropes — My little brother reads Tolstoy to relax. Although younger, my brother is no longer little. Blair is in his 60’s and six foot four, but old habits die hard. One old habit I’m forcing to change is the lazy way I visualize humans in novels. (I’m also too lazy to…Inspirational Women3 min readInspirational Women3 min read
Mar 24Don’t “Get” People to Do Anything2.1K29Douglas RushkoffA sincere thank you for honoring (and reinforcing) your message with a small yet important detail.A sincere thank you for honoring (and reinforcing) your message with a small yet important detail. I clicked your book link. An overwhelming number of authors link Buy from Bezos. Yours doesn't. You chose Bookshop.org, which brought up my local independent bookstore. I got my copy of 'Survival of the…1 min read1 min read
Mar 23Member-onlyKnicker Knot: Accountants Control Our Food.Shelf life sucks. — I once shopped at a ‘pick your own’ farm near Hana on Maui. We were given grocery baskets and a machete to tour a tropical food forest. The checkout counter was a large stump to hack apart fat sugarcanes to get to the juicy core. Biting into fresh sugarcane was…Healthy Food Choices3 min readHealthy Food Choices3 min read
Mar 3She was not willing to lose the right to defend her copyright.If You’re Using Images From Social Media, Pray You Don’t Go Viral9K113Linda CarollThis is the decision every creative person has to make to ward of pirates; do I fortify my ship…This is the decision every creative person has to make to ward of pirates; do I fortify my ship with iron cladding and conscript lawyers to man the cannons, then wallow in defense mode? Ew. I chose to build a sleeker, quicker boat. I paint, I sketch, I write. I've…1 min read1 min read
Feb 3Time Enough At Last5.9K69Wil WheatonYou just made me realize I've insulted myself for creative escapism more than everyone else has.You just made me realize I've insulted myself for creative escapism more than everyone else has. I should stop that. I've made my living as a painter for forty years. Patrons who come back for more say, "Your work makes me happy." My joke reply is, "Oh good. Now I…1 min read1 min read
Dec 20, 2022Member-onlyElizabeth Gilbert was Red Flagged?A worthy novel shows me what mastery really means. Listicles are my snacks now that I don’t look at facebook so often. Medium is a healthier scrolling alternative with escapist options to tear open the literary equivalent of a small bag of cheesy crunchies. This morning I was stalling going…Book Review3 min readBook Review3 min read
Oct 27, 2022Member-onlyMarried to my Muse. Let’s call him Doug.A tricky relationship with my life’s purpose. — Where did my fickle muse go? I stare at a half-finished painting going nowhere. Several others very much like it are stacked against the wall. This painting started out promising, but had drifted in yet another mundane direction — like I’m trying to find a freeway on ramp, but keep…Writers Block3 min readWriters Block3 min read
Jul 8, 2022The Book That Humbled Hemingway1.2K16Eric PierceA 1983 copy of West With the Night is one of only a few books to survive almost 40 years of moving…A 1983 copy of West With the Night is one of only a few books to survive almost 40 years of moving and purging many bookshelves. In my 20s Beryl inspired me to hurl myself into every adventure and danger be damned. In my 60s she gave me the confidence…1 min read1 min read
Mar 25, 2022Here’s Why I Won’t Hang That Pervert’s Artwork On My Wall2.7K50Daniella GaskellI'm a painter and absolutely agree—an artist's essence is not only embedded, but emits that energy.I'm a painter and absolutely agree—an artist's essence is not only embedded, but emits that energy. I can 'dark night of the soul' in literature, but not on my walls. My favorite way to buy art is directly from artists I have made an effort to meet, talk with and…1 min read1 min read
