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 readCovid 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 readTravel10 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 readWriting10 min read
Oct 11, 2022Member-onlyHow Frankenstein was Born- Mary Shelley’s Brilliant, Famous, Tragic ParentsInventing the Sci-Fi genre at age 18 required a radical upbringing. This all started because my sister bought me a stunning, green and gold-leafed, vintage-inspired copy of Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman for my birthday. With whispers in the press of Roe v. Wade about to…History16 min readHistory16 min read
Published in An Injustice!·Aug 22, 2022Member-onlyHow Religious Belief in a Soul’s Potential Diminishes After BirthAnd why it matters in the age of anti-abortion, nuclear threats, and civil rights — As long as I’ve been alive, my family’s told the same story about a single event that had to happen in order for me to be born. And it's not the night of my parents' engagement when they giddily threw caution to the wind and fooled around without contraceptives. The…Abortion10 min readAbortion10 min read
Aug 9, 2022Member-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 readWriting5 min read
Published in The Writing Cooperative·Aug 2, 2022Member-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 readPsychology8 min read
Published in Nomadic·Jul 19, 2022Member-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 readTravel8 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 readTravel11 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…Strawberry202112 min readStrawberry202112 min read
