Creativity, Genius, and the Nature of Understanding
I’ve been labeled a “genius” by various well-meaning folks over the years. Some of them even dared to slap on the more flattering “creative genius” tag. I suppose I should be flattered, but honestly, I’ve always found it a bit bewildering. Maybe it’s my tragic flaw, but I just don’t see it. Sure, I’ve got […]
What It Takes to Be an Essayist, According to E.B. White
Writing is a shape-shifting beast. You can be “good” at it in a dozen different forms and still feel like you’re chasing your own tail. For years, I fancied myself the next great novelist — imagining a future where my name graced the bestsellers list, sandwiched between the latest dystopian romance and whatever Stephen King […]
Why You Should Be an Enemy of All That You Read
There’s an old quote by Ibn Al-Haytham — Alhazen as he’s known in the West — where he declares, “The duty of the man who investigates the writings of scientists, if learning the truth is his goal, is to make himself an enemy of all that he reads.” Now, Alhazen is mostly known for his […]
How Criticisms of Literature Often Have an Agenda
As a former English major in university, I’m well acquaintance with the supposedly noble art of literary criticism. It’s a realm where words are dissected, meanings are invented, and authors are turned into unwitting co-conspirators in the critics’ elaborate game of “Guess What I Think You Meant.” If you’ve ever had the pleasure of reading […]
Reflections on the Alter Ego
We all have that shadowy figure lurking in the recesses of our minds, often referred to as the alter ego. For some of us, it’s a full-blown, caped crusader with a catchy name and a flair for the dramatic. For others, it’s a slightly more polished version of ourselves, the one that doesn’t spill coffee […]
Masters of Minutiae
It was another day at the office, in the Year of Our Lord 2012, and it was truly the end of the world. At least it seemed that way, especially being yet another one of those days where the universe seemed to conspire against me. My inbox overflowed with urgent emails, my phone buzzed incessantly […]
The True Value of a Writer
Why is it that we writers often find ourselves at the bottom of the corporate food chain? It’s almost as if the world collectively decided that writing is some kind of frivolous hobby. It’s like stamp collecting, but without the hope of ever striking gold with a rare find falling into our hands. No, writing […]
It’s Not What You Know, It’s What You Share That Counts
“Your value will be not what you know; it will be what you share.” – Ginni Rometty This quote was suggested to me yesterday by the Stoic journaling app I was suggested on the Apple App Store. It’s a great guided journal app, which is something I need lately, since I have a whirlwind constantly […]
How the Fast Food and Fast Living Culture of the Postmodern Era is Destroying Our History
Recently, my wife and her friends Luke and Lucas from the YouTube channel Luke Explores checked out the now long-abandoned I-86 Diner in Parksville, New York. It’s a relic of the grand tradition of American dining—one of many across the nation buried beneath the weight of greasy takeout bags and UberEats orders. Thanks to what […]