Things I want to remember - James Wallace Harris
by James Wallace Harris, 8/12/26 Unfathomably Deep by Sophie Madeline Dess is available to read online. Or buy a copy of The Best American Short Stories 2025. One of the essential challenges of being a professional writer is developing ideas. Ideas come to a writer all day long. I get two or three every time Continue reading " Unfathomably Deep by Sophie Madeline Dess"
by James Wallace Harris, 8/11/26 We humans have several cognitive tools for understanding reality. The early ones were myth, folklore, and religion. The only ones that can consistently describe reality are math and science. But a popular one today is fiction. I don t just mean short stories and novels. But also television shows, movies, comics, Continue reading " Abject Naturalism by Sarah…
by James Wallace Harris, 8/9/26 What Would I Do for You, What Would You Do for Me? by Emma Binder returns to the assertion that reading makes us more empathetic. The 2020s are difficult times for trans people, especially for those who live in the heartland. Emma Binder tells us about Cody Hartbrook, a trans Continue reading " What Would I Do for You, What Would You Do for Me? by Emma Binder"
by James Wallace Harris, 8/6/26 At 74, my youngest friend is 60. It s been years since I ve socialized with a young person. And when I think of young people, I recall the fellow baby boomers when they were young, or maybe Gen Xers I watched growing up. I m totally out of touch with recent generations. Continue reading " Take Me to Kirkland by Sarah Anderson"
by James Wallace Harris, 8/5/26 There has been much discussion lately about how people are no longer reading for pleasure. Advocates for reading often claim that reading is important because it promotes empathy. Is that really true? I ve decided to test that. I read the short story Dominion by Lauren Acampora in The Best American Continue reading " Dominion by Lauren Acampora"
by James Wallace Harris, 8/2/26 Euclid is sometimes called the Father of Geometry because of his book The Elements. A literal translation of the word geometry could be earth measurement. Even Aristotle knew that the Egyptians and Babylonians used geometry to survey land and construct buildings. Euclid doesn t use numbers or make measurements in The Continue reading "Studying Euclid s Elements in…
by James Wallace Harris, 7/28/26 What is nostalgia? Most people think of it as a mental perception, an outlook, but what if it s just another emotion caused by a chemical reaction in the brain? What if it s like fear or sexual desire, caused by triggers in our environment? When we were still hunters and gatherers, Continue reading "You Can t Go Home Again But Do I Really Want To?"
by James Wallace Harris, 7/12/26 Rebecca Jennings, writing for the Intelligencer at New York Magazine, tells about how Zuhair Lakhani has created an army of AI tech influencers to promote your online product. This really bums me out. I knew that companies paid people to promote their products through fake reviews, social media testimonials, and Continue reading "Will AI Grifters Push Everyone Back…
by James Wallace Harris, 7/9/26 I went for years not being able to sit through a movie or television show by myself. My mind would just feel restless after ten minutes, and I couldn t continue. I guess I felt guilty, thinking I should be doing something more productive with my time. But being retired, I Continue reading "I ve Got a Noir a Day Habit"
by James Wallace Harris, 7/8/26 Anyone who frequents Noir Alley on Saturday nights on TCM should find Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir by Eddie Muller to be Noir Metropolis. However, a tip about where to place your bet. I bought the hardback edition because I knew I d want to linger over the Continue reading "DARK CITY: THE LOST WORLD OF FILM NOIR by Eddie Muller"