Published in Human Parts·PinnedMember-onlyTo Understand Our Scary World, Read About Fire-Breathing DragonsWhat a princess, a knight, and an evil dragon can teach us about Covid-19 — We have not even to risk the adventure alone for the heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known. We have only to follow the thread of the hero path. And where we had thought to find an abomination we shall find God. And where…Covid 1911 min read
PinnedMember-onlyThe Statues in Egypt Used to Have EyeballsThis. Changes. Everything. — Mitri the Scribe was once the highest-paid servant of Pharaoh Unas in the 24th century BC. He was the guy you went to if you wanted a temple built, or a letter written, or if you needed a funny idea for a personalized license plate. …Travel10 min read
Published in The Writing Cooperative·PinnedMember-onlyHow to Keep Online Readers Engaged in Long ArticlesCheck in with your audience and avoid shouting into the void — According to a study by Microsoft, humans now have an attention span of eight seconds. Eight seconds! Don’t ask me for details on the study, I only skimmed it. And please don’t click away to that study link, I only included it so you’d believe me. Anyway, if you’ve made…Writing10 min read
4 days agoMember-onlyI Was an Overnight Medium Success StoryPlease allow me to update you on "My Incredible Success" I made $613.11 in my first consistent month as a paid contributor due to two popular articles -one about how the Statues in Egypt Used to Have Eyeballs, and another which was a satirical article called, If You’re Not A…Writing5 min read
Published in The Writing Cooperative·Aug 2Member-onlyIn Your Writing, Be the Bad GuyThe trickster archetype narrator and how to utilize it. — “How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also If I am to be whole.” ― Carl Gustav Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul Everybody wants to be liked. We want to be the heroes of our own…Psychology8 min read
Published in Nomadic·Jul 19Member-onlyImpressionist Writing in Monet's GardensA travel writing exercise and fan cross-over. Woman in the Garden This piece is going to be different from my usual historical pieces. Normally, I'd tell you some tale about Monet himself, the history of his house and gardens, etc. But today, in the spirit of the impressionist art movement, I thought I'd experiment…Travel8 min read
Apr 4, 2021Member-onlyThe Dumpster-Fire Politics of Living AbroadThe inevitability (and responsibility) of getting swept up in another country’s politics. — Two years ago, I stood on my apartment balcony in Barcelona, Spain, and watched a group of 40–50 young people with dark clothes and bandanas tied around their faces as they dragged every nearby dumpster from the sidewalks to the middle of the crosswalks and set them on fire. …Travel11 min read
Mar 19, 2021Member-onlyThe Irony of Surveillance Cameras in George Orwell Square“Orwellian debate” is an oxymoron, but that appears to be what we’re having. Tourists go to George Orwell Square in Barcelona all the time, hoping to relive that spooked/sanctimonious feeling they felt when they first read 1984 as an angry teenager. They’re often disappointed by the fact that the square…Strawberry 202112 min read
Published in An Injustice!·Mar 13, 2021Member-onlyThe First Recorded Same-Sex Couple in HistoryOMG, they were tomb-mates. — I’m going to rip the bandaid off real quick here by letting all my gaybies know that there is significant (as in “much”, not “important”) debate about the nature of the relationship between Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum, two royal manicurists whose shared tomb was discovered at Saqqara, Egypt in 1964. …History7 min read
Feb 28, 2021Member-onlyHow a Little Girl and Her Flashlight Got Me Through COVID-19Strangers, symbols, and signs from the universe. — When I was at my sickest, when I was worried for my life and the lives of my loved ones, there was the little girl with the light. She lived across the plaza from me in the Dreta de ‘Eixample (“Right of the Extension”) district of Barcelona. In the plaza…Strawberry 202112 min read
