I wrote my first proper short story back in August 2020 after the devastating blast in Lebanon and I’m excited to finally be able to share it. The reason it’s taken so long is that I entered it into a writing competition and was waiting to find out if they were going to publish it. Unfortunately, I found out a couple of days ago that I didn’t win after all (their loss…). So now, excitingly, I can share it on my own site!
It’s my first go at this type of writing, so be kind, but I’d love to hear what you think if you do give it a read. It’s ethereal, heartwrenching, and hopeful - all in equal measure.
Read it here: A Ghost to Become.
Quote of the Week
"Books are paper ships, to all the worlds, to ancient Egypt, outer space, eternity, into the childhood of your favorite musician, and — the most precious stunning journey of all — into your own heart, your own family, your own history and future and body."
— Anne Lamott
New Podcast: Presenting the Purple iPhone
On this episode of the podcast, we dive into the latest Apple event talking about the credit card, changes to podcasting, AirTags, the purple iPhone, new iMacs, and new iPads. We then go on to discuss the European Super League drama, the first flight from Mars, the Derek Chauvin verdict, Geoguesser, taking on too much at once, and the value of batching things.
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Links:
Stoicism has been through somewhat of a renaissance in recent years with technologists and entrepreneurs taking quite a liking to this ancient philosophy. However, I haven’t seen many nuanced criticisms of it that challenge its core principles. I found one this week from one of my favorite writers Simon Sarris, which suggests that we can’t only rely on stoicism. Highly recommended. (Link)
I’ve always been a little taken aback by how pop songwriting has become a science with songwriters and producers creating music that optimizes for mass appeal rather than creativity and originality. This video shows an example of this using the ‘supertonic’ note which is found in pretty much every song you can imagine. (Link)
I’ve been a believer in the power of deliberate practice ever since the concept was popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in ‘Outliers’. And this post from Farnam Street is the most comprehensive and value-packed articulation of the principles that I’ve found anywhere online. Required reading for anyone who is trying to become really great at something. (Link)
I may have shared this before, so forgive me if I have, but this ode to friendship is simply wonderful. I keep returning to it and it might be one of my favourite pieces of writing of them all. I’ll link to a short quote that will hopefully whet your appetite enough to check out the whole thing. (Link)
In today’s modern world, overwhelmed by external inputs and distractions, we’ve lost sight of what it means to sit and ‘think’. This short anecdote from Hemingway is a great reminder of how important it is to set aside time for thinking. (Link)
That’s all for this week, thanks once again for reading!
Have a great week ahead and remember to be kind to yourself.
Barry