Since US literature, as represented by the US Library of Congress, has the whole universe as a subject, one could assume that this system is also governed by the same mechanisms that it describes. In the following two paragraphs I would like to outline some analogies between what most people consider as two disciplines who … Continue reading The US Literary Universe.
Bots on the Social Media and in Literature
Bots can be extremely sophisticated such as (i) generating pseudo posts which look like human generated to interact with humans on a social network, (ii) reposting post, photographs or status of the others, and (iii) adding comments or likes to posts, (iv) building connections with other accounts.
About Promotion Burnout.
Marketing is the bane of my existence as a writer. It distracts me from what I really want to be doing: writing. It forces me to enter into the uncivilized world of advertising, where strident ads claw their way into the consumer’s consciousness, convincing the public to buy what they don’t want, can’t use, but must have.
Fun TBR list
For those still looking for a 2020 reading resolution,
Literary Hoaxes: when fun turns into irritation.
So what sets the literary hoax separate from the rest of fiction?
Can we use fewer acronyms? Please?
If you don't have time to communicate while using whole sentences, better don't
The Decline of Reading
Those who read own the world, and those who watch television lose it.
Monomania and Literature.
The most common monomaniacal behavior associated with the literary field is of a very mundane nature: the obsession of writers with writing and that of the readers with reading.
My first five days of holidays in 20 years.
We’re a couple of digital nomads. I’m a writer and my wife is a photographer. In many fields we’re complementary and have a lot of common interests. We are both travelers since twenty years and like what we’re doing. Sometimes we joked that going home for a couple of weeks every year was our way … Continue reading My first five days of holidays in 20 years.
Traveling and the Search for the Elusive Self.
If traveling does fundamentally change you, it’s only because you’ve done some important self-work while you were there. But it’s work you can do anywhere, and very few people actually get around to it when there’s a new city to explore and world to get lost in.
I don’t know it anymore.
When you google this sentence, you encounter all kinds of advice about avoiding suicide, how to become successful or more detached from the rat race. That’s not what I don’t know anymore. So what don’t I know anymore? Here I would like to scream; EVERYTHING! I used to write an essay of about 180 pages … Continue reading I don’t know it anymore.
Eurocentrism in Art, History and Science.
This post deals with the mainstream collective perspective that shapes to our worldview and gives directions to our thinking and acting.
Focalization in Art and Daily Life.
The title of this article refers to a literary technique describing the perspective through which a narrative is presented. It occurs in a narrative where all information presented reflects the subjective perception of a certain character is said to be internally focalized.
Flunked the IKEA Relationship Test
Ikea is a relationship deathtrap; something like Temptation Island or consorts. One psychologist has even referred to Ikea as “a map of a relationship nightmare.” And she’s not wrong — from beginning to end, the whole Ikea process seems almost engineered to stir up tension among the poor fools who naively enter its doors. The first phase … Continue reading Flunked the IKEA Relationship Test
The Enigma Called Frank Zappa
Last week we had a film festival on our little rock in the Atlantic; The Las Palmas Film Festival 2019. My general appreciation of the program was lukewarm, but there was one documentary that stuck out. It wasn’t even part of the official section but was screened in the margin of the festival as a private … Continue reading The Enigma Called Frank Zappa
My Hero, Zero
Zero? Yeah, zero is a wonderful thing. In fact, Zero is my hero! How can zero be a hero? Well, there are all kinds of heroes, you know. A man can get to be a hero for a famous battle he fought or by studying very hard and becoming a weightless astronaut And then there … Continue reading My Hero, Zero
Surfing through Life.
The term surfing refers to the act of riding a wave, regardless of whether the wave is ridden with a board or without a board, and regardless of the stance used. Surfers represent a diverse culture based on riding the waves. Some people practice surfing as a recreational activity while others make it the central … Continue reading Surfing through Life.
Morbidity as a Fashionable Lifestyle.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines being morbid as “an attitude, quality, or state of mind marked by excessive gloom”. It’s beyond doubt that most of us have, into different degrees, some fascination for some morbid aspects of our existence. I know people who’re fascinated by cemeteries, all the way up to people who’re dedicating their life … Continue reading Morbidity as a Fashionable Lifestyle.
Carnival at the Franklin Institute.
From an anthropological point of view, carnival is a reversal ritual, in which social roles are reversed and norms about desired behavior are suspended, but cannot interrupt my never-ending quest to combine entertainment and learning. An interesting upcoming event is the science carnival organized by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia (April 20 - 28, 2019), … Continue reading Carnival at the Franklin Institute.
Magicians, Artists and Scientists.
Magic and the supernatural have been declared nonexistent, artists are called illusionists and scientists are deemed to be incomprehensible monomaniacs who know a lot about little but little about a lot. Where does this leave us? Maybe it’s time to take a break and resume it. This small essay is a personal cosmology. I brought … Continue reading Magicians, Artists and Scientists.
The Maharajagar 