complaining is so boring
Jefferson was one of the richest men in the new United States. He had a 5,000-acre plantation worked by hundreds of slaves, a splendid mansion in Virginia that he had designed himself, one of the biggest wine collections in America, and one of the greatest private libraries in the world — it became the foundation of the Library of Congress. But
... See moreCharles C. Mann • We Live Like Royalty and Don’t Know It
The New Critic’s Disease
A review of the DOOM reviews, a critique of criticism, by way of Sontag and Wallace
(On substack!)
TY to Xandra, Miles and Emma for giving this a read through 🤍
I long for an erotics of art :)
instagram.comThe famous Anton Ego speech in Ratatouille:
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy.
We risk very little, yet enjoy a position of those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgement.
We thrive on negative criticism.
Which is fun to write and to read.
But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the
... See moreYou know, absent solving some of these big problems, things are going to be so much better off. Alzheimer's, obesity, you know; we'll have a cure for HIV. We will have gotten rid of polio, measles, malaria. You know, the pace of innovation is greater today than ever. I'm lucky I still get to back incredibly smart people who are doing all of that
... See moreCHM Live | Bill Gates and Patrick Collison: In Conversation at CHM
Optimism is unfashionable today, particularly among intellectuals. Everyone makes fun of it. Someone said "Pessimists got that way by financing optimists." But I am not pessimistic and I advise you not to be. As the fellow said, "I'd be a pessimist but it would never work."
pbs.org • John Gardner : Education and Excellence
“If your world is not enchanted, you’re not paying attention.”
Alex Dobrenko • The Bucket Theory of Creativity
Youth and not complaining
The young people at my table were anxious about money: starter-job salaries, high rents, student loans. But they never worried about freezing in their home. They could go to the sink and get a glass of clean water without fear of getting sick. Most of all, they were alive . In 1800, when Jefferson was elected president, more than one out of four
... See moreCharles C. Mann • We Live Like Royalty and Don’t Know It
I'm hopeful that as the world spins faster,
Sublime will help us stay grounded.
Sublime isn't about productivity
it's about clarity.
Spend 15mins with it this week.
Save one idea you care about,
and see where it takes you.
You won't create unlimited presentations. But you may discover the one insight that changes everything.
Sublime description by Sari. That matches exactly what I think about for Maas.
if anybody thinks it was better back in 1955 for women or people who were gay or people who got, you know, heart disease or cancer, I mean, it’s just insane. You know, the big headline is people are living longer, people are learning more, people are more literate.
CHM Live | Bill Gates and Patrick Collison: In Conversation at CHM
so true