The following is the second chapter from my new novel. If you have not yet read it, you can read the first chapter here. This story starts on a farm in North Carolina, in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Like most of the places I stayed during that season…

The following is the opening chapter from my upcoming novel. I’ll release the next two chapters in the coming two weeks. Please read along if you enjoy this. Chapter 1 I don’t remember coming home. I recall the morning clearly, but the rest of the day comprises flashes, and then…

In which the author argues for a new digital age honor code The wildly popular musical Hamilton depicts one of the most famous pistol duels in American history: Alexander Hamilton vs Aaron Burr. So, with this story in the limelight, what better time to argue for the reintroduction of the…

The world relies on the harmony of action and inaction We live in a world that worships action and scorns inaction. But, closer inspection reveals that everything in the world relies on the harmony of action and inaction. Take for example the simple task of baking bread. At first, you…

Conflicting narratives make crisis response difficult In America, a major news story is always breaking somewhere; the world is always five minutes from midnight. Who is responsible for destroying civilization? That depends who’s telling the story. Before the Age of Isolation started, one of the best places to observe the…

We all have a part to play As the global health system comes under its worst strain in living memory, those of us who have on-again-off-again relationships with hypochondria need to get ourselves in order. Now is not the time to go rushing off to the emergency room because you…

What can literature say about our current moment? For individuals directly affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, the situation is already tragic. The rest of humanity either watches and worries, or tries not to watch and not to worry. …

Fiction presents a truer picture of life than non-fiction A few nights ago, I set out for a walk through my neighborhood listening to a new audiobook — a novel. As the narrator began to tell her story, instructions (issued in my own voice) reminded me that although this was…

Embracing a relationship with your Shadow Self I don’t have a vengeful side. I’ve never understood, for instance, how anyone could want to be a prosecutor. Only the most dark-hearted person would devote their life to making other people suffer for mistakes of the past. …