Learning to define yourself by what you like rather than by what you do not The comedian Tim Minchin once gave a commencement address at the University of Western Australia, wherein one of his bits of wisdom was that young people should avoid defining themselves simply by what they dislike. He implored…
Posts TaggedWriting
Pacing The Cage
Supercharge your writing with a daily walk I have never been a fan of gratuitous exercise. If the options are sitting or moving about, I’ll go for sitting every time. I’m not lazy, exactly; I just don’t feel the need to run around to make myself look or feel busy. Sitting works…
When Food Writing No Longer Features Actual Food
The missing poetry, passion, and sensory exploration of contemporary food editorial.
The Job Of Being A Professional Storyteller
Telling stories for fun and profit in the cutthroat world of serious business The title on my business card reads, “Raconteur.” It’s a somewhat archaic term that simply means storyteller, but it’s a hell of a lot better than consultant. The word itself has a rapscallion air to it, as if describing someone…
The Man Beneath The Beard
The tricky nuances of visual identity and personal expression I lost the beard yesterday. The whole thing. Kaput. Gone. Adios. Sayonara. I went upstairs with a long, grey beard, and when I came down, it was gone. Just some stubble in the shape of a beard, like the shadow of an…
Stories I Tell Myself
A few years ago, I came across a story that has stuck in my mind ever since. It was about a small-town newspaper in Alaska.
The Reason You Need To Be Making Art Right Now
In the fight against fascism, art is not only necessary, but essential.
The Art And Obligation Of Responsible Criticism
Navigating the minefield of creative enterprise and the fragility of artistic souls.
I Was Told There’d Be More
Ghost signs, finite energy, and the weight of souls “Fuck you,” the voice cries out from below in the darkness. “Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you.” It is quiet for a bit, then the sobbing that ends in a wail rises up, before falling into the now familiar refrain, “Fuck you,…
Under The Rocks Are The Words
When first we begin to tell stories, we explain everything in a very straightforward manner. The subject did this and said that and everyone cheered.