Writer and Friendly Neighbourhood Philosopher
Just Thinking…
It’s The (Really) Little Things That Matter
Here’s to the little things, and to the lovely people who trust us with them. May we take good care of them.
When You’re Not Supposed To Ask…
It’s not like there are easy answers to any of these big questions. Besides feeling like we have much to lose in asking them (though often, there’s much to gain), there’s always a bit of fatigue surrounding the prospect of them being ongoing. Wouldn’t it be splendid if we could just put them to bed and not think about them every again? Couldn’t we just sit with our neat and tidy, nicely-packaged, preestablished views of the world?
For The New Year
All of those things we wish for each other at New Year’s, like love, peace, and happiness, I think they’re all tied to curiosity. None of these things just land on us, not even in the midst of the twinkly magic of a fresh start, without us going digging for them, exploring what they are, why we want them, how to share them and sustain them.
A Playlist of Holiday Songs For Those Who Are Sick of Holiday Songs
Perhaps you’re ready for something a little different. Maybe you’re worn thin from gift shopping, and decorating, and baking, and getting the snow tires on. You could be on your last nerve after a particularly challenging year in general.
Once Upon A Postage Stamp
Maybe it’s just comforting to know that random connections like this can still happen, that some stranger on the other side of the world might still consider you important enough to take a few minutes to reach out every year. Maybe it’s just nice, simple, pleasant in a way that few things are anymore.
There’s No Such Thing…Until There’s A Lot Of It.
As a kid, I loved the book “There’s No Such Thing As A Dragon” by Jack Kent. It was a sweet story of a little boy who wakes up one morning to find a dragon in his house. It’s a small dragon, and fairly innocuous. When the boy tells his mother about it, she simply replies that it’s not really there.
What We Owe Our Kids
Collectively speaking, we act as if children are a big, expensive, sloppy, sticky, noisy nuisance. We treat them as something to be endured until they (finally) mature and join the rest of us real humans, the ones who are really important.
Not cool, grown-ups. Not. Cool.
So I propose this, as a way to make at least something right with our kids:
We start taking them seriously.
Why It’s Good To Be An Existentialist
It sounds like an angry kid phase one goes through as an undergrad, whilst hanging out in cafes and shaking one’s fist at the establishment. Thank goodness I never outgrew this phase, because being an existentialist philosopher is one of the key reasons why I still have at least some of my wits about me. It’s a big part of why, even in the messiest of times, I still have a little gas left in the tank.
Our Digital Age Stories
Let me make it clear that I’m not a technophobe. I am typing this on an electronic device, and I will be using other modern technology to post it, tweet it, and generally annoy people with it. I’m all about little things that light up and make noise. But I do miss the grey areas that existed before they became part of daily existence. I think stories, both real and fictional, were a little more interesting before we knew everything about each other, all the time.
On The Nakedness of Writing
Here’s what I think our collective fear is: writing (and public speaking too) make a lot of people feel like they do in those dreams where you realize you’re out in public and you’re surprisingly naked.
Why Philosophers Are A Lot Like Ghostbusters
Being a philosopher, like being a Ghostbuster, is unexpectedly cool. Even when everyone thinks you’re a modern day Chicken Little, when you’re dealing with demons, when you’re covered in slime (all metaphorical, of course), you can’t quite imagine yourself doing anything else.
The View From A Branch Of My Family Tree
Ex Nihilo, Let’s Go!
I wish you all a whole lot of nothing.
An Editor’s Guide To Intolerance
I’m a human being, and every so often, stupid thoughts about other human beings ping-pong around in my head. Honestly, I don’t even believe these things are actually true. These thoughts are basically echoes of historical and cultural “bad grammar”, bits of misinformation or ignorance that I’ve heard often enough to have them lodge themselves into the dark corners of my brain.
Do Us All A Big Favour and Read
I need to know if big meanies didn’t get enough bedtime stories as children. I want to see if getting into the right novel can actually be life-changing. I’d like to hear if other people finish a book and then suddenly see the characters mirrored in people they see on the street. What gaping personal and cultural caverns can we bridge by reading each other’s stories?
A Playlist For Times When We’re Pleasantly Surprised
However it pops up, it’s important to recognize when the universe says “You’ve been getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. Maybe this will help.”
Out Of Office
As is the case with any major world-changing event, the way I see all kinds of things has been flipped over and reversed, and that includes office life.
Big Fish, Little Fish
For so long, we’ve been looking at things as if they were beneath the ripples of a lake. We’ve become accustomed to distortion, to being afraid to get a little cold or soggy in order to take a closer look.
For My Students, Past and Present
No matter how well the semester or year goes, students don’t just filter in and out of classrooms without leaving a mark on the folks who are educating them. They sneak into conversations, challenge us to do things differently, maybe better, and occasionally, they spark worry. Whether you love your teaching job, or can’t stand it, whether the year goes swimmingly, or is a hot mess, your students wedge themselves into your brain.
