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all serious intellectual work happens on the page, and we shouldn’t pretend otherwise. If you want to contribute to the world of ideas, if you want to
Because we learn through experience. Not incidentally, the capacity to learn from real world experiences is a hard and permanent difference between hu
In many ways, writing is the act of saying I, of imposing oneself upon other people, of saying listen to me, see it my way, change your mind. It’s an
By which I mean not a “good” writer or a “bad” writer but simply a writer, a person whose most absorbed and passionate hours are spent arranging words
Memory fades, memory adjusts, memory conforms to what we think we remember.
People are made of stories. Our memories are not the impartial accumulation of every second we’ve lived; they’re the narrative that we assembled out o
Memories can also be thought of as dreamlike. They’re more a romantic story than a faithful document of a life event. And there’s good content to be f
“The heart of open-mindedness is curiosity. Curiosity doesn’t take sides or insist on a single way of doing things. It explores all perspectives. Alwa
"Then there’s curiosity. It’s not that I’m fascinated by everything; it’s more that I refuse to shut anything out, even when it’s clearly irrelevant
“Being curious and excited can take you far, especially over the long arc of a life. The person who is a voracious lifelong learner will figure it out
“I don’t really pursue a destination,” he said. “I pursue a direction.”
Robin Williams - I used to think that the worst thing in life is to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make
Elimination solves many problems. For one, you won't have to do the thing you eliminate. But also, you free up time, attention, and resources to do a
“Work is endless. Exercise is endless. Parenting is endless. Same with marriage, writing, investing, creating, and more. You get to choose the parts o
At its best, cultural criticism is love and art that exists to give love to other expressions of art. It's beautiful in its indulgence.
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgm
Remember, there is a difference between a critic and someone offering a critique. The critic will level judgments against your writing, your chances o
‘Blog posts’ might be the answer. But I have read blogs for many years and most blog posts are the triumph of the hare over the tortoise. They are mea
I like the idea that, at the end of the day, it’s the reader who generates the book’s meaning as much as the writer, and it’s the writer’s job to star
One of the shifts in understanding I seek for students is for them to realize that bad sentences are not (primarily) a writing skill issue, but rather
“I consider myself or I think what I'm projecting to my kids is a liberal father. I want to come across as somebody who's approachable to them. I enjo
“It was quite an emotional and impulsive decision not long after Charlie was born, and I almost resented it for a few years there, you know. There was
Our children don't listen to us. Hell no. They watch. True. Depending on your approach to parenting, you constantly having to act and operate a certai
“I think the most distinctive thing that will mark your journey is the nature of your child. I have given birth to two very different humans. The rele
A great storyteller creates a movie in the minds of the audience.
Storytelling is not about a roller-coaster ride of excitement. It’s about bridging the gap between you and another person by creating a space of authe
“I realised that the storytelling was what built the brand and the storytelling is what keeps the brand so close to its customer now.” Tarryn Gill on
A slower approach to work is not only feasible, but is likely superior to the ad hoc pseudo-productivity that dictates the professional lives of so ma
Give yourself enough time to produce something great, but not unlimited time. Focus on creating something good enough to catch the attention of those