Rough Drafts
Essays and blog posts I've written that haven't been published elsewhere yet
813 posts
What Eminem taught me about SEO and authenticity
Finding the real Slim Shady in an world of infinite mediocre copies
4 min read
Breathwork to breakthrough: Embracing creative freedom for post #2000
How getting sick on Christmas led to a creative rebirth.
7 min read
What matters now
As I sit at my desk this morning, I am thinking about what really matters.
Peace. Honest, clear communication. Showing
1 min read
Self-portrait with eyes closed
How self-presentation works: We feel scribbly, off-center, full of flaws and missing pieces. But to others, we may seem pretty coherent.
4 min read
Fifth Sun
Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend Camilla Townsend has pulled off a remarkable magic trick in this book, reconstituting the Mexica empire with an amazing level of detail and sensitivity. It makes the Aztecs feel like a real people, with a vibrant and complex culture, instead
1 min read
The tree with the lights in it
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard My rating: 5 of 5 stars It took many months for me to finish reading this book, as I could only manage it in small doses. Dillard writes with an intensity level that starts around 7 or 8 and cranks up to 11 by the end of each […]
1 min read
Zen, death, love, and an exorcism.
Love and Fear: Stories from a Hospice Chaplain by Renshin Bunce My rating: 5 of 5 stars A Zen Buddhist chaplain’s memoir, with many stories shining light on what it means to die, and some of the many different ways it can happen. Written with a gentle, understanding, open heart, and a knack for tell
1 min read
I have heard the toadfish singing.
The toadfish sits on the bottom of the sea, singing a song of love.
2 min read
Walking through a shitstorm.
One day, during the early days of COVID-19, I walked through a cloud of aerosolized sewage.
3 min read