In Praise of the Three-Star Review
A fandom war, a spiteful one-star, and the only rating I still believe.
Big Fat Words
A curiosity-powered content studio for writing, creativity, and the occasional wandering thought.
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The Second Question
Your job pays the bills. Your calling finds your people.
You Are Not The Person Who Started Reading This
An Ancient Greek thought experiment, and why change isn’t the thing to be afraid of.
You Are Someone’s Dying Smoke Alarm
And they love you anyway, which is a small miracle
Getting Rid of My Books
Nobody admires your Kindle
Never Great at Anything
Some people go deep. Some of us go wide. The world needs both.
The Team Player Trap
How a compliment became a corporate weapon
Should Narrators Be Allowed to Edit?
Sometimes the best edit is the one you never hear.
Some Kids Just Come Out Wrong
On nature, nurture, and the kid who tried to burn down my house.
Jane Austen Had No Delete Key
She wrote 120,000 words by hand. Then she wrote them again.
No Turbulence, No Twinkle
What the night sky gets right about hard times
Sporadic Thoughts: Situationally Smart
The new wave of machine learning is strikingly similar to us
Steer The Ship, Or Something Like That
A podcast, a misunderstanding, and a surprisingly good metaphor
Why Are People Staying Put?
The bags aren't packed . . . yet.
The Last Time Everyone Saw the Same Movie
Why yesterday's blockbusters reached more people — and it has nothing to do with how much money they made.
Sporadic Thoughts: Go It Alone
Why the best travel companion might be nobody at all
The Brick and the Doorway
Book donations make headlines. The Library Dads make readers.
Distractions
An extract from "The Color of Your Dreams: Publish Your Damn Book Already"
Sporadic Thoughts: Confessions of a Former Carry-On Snob
On optimization, overthinking, and one extra pair of shoes
The Acceleration Effect of AI
Why removing friction leads to more work, not less
Sporadic Thoughts: The Great Streaming Shuffle
How cancelling became the best way to watch TV