The Ghost Lives, Sort Of
My short book leave ended at the beginning of March, so approximately 17 years ago now, and after returning to full-time in the newsroom I let this newsletter drop. This was probably to be expected.
So for now, a short dispatch: The book is still slowly, slowly in progress, a micro-current running under everything else, still the thing I try to shape most of my nights and weekends around. A few new ideas for chapters and themes have been organically percolating, which is good; the whole project feels less forced than it did a year ago, due in large part to a fresh editor, too. This week I chatted for over an hour with a source for the book who has a compelling personal and technological story, and it's conversations like those that keep me going. I really wish I had more time to give to it.
Just wake up earlier! Just skip exercise! Just say no to dinners! The usual hacks suggested by (well-meaning?) people aren't new, but thanks. Early this year my health took a real nosedive, no surprise given the stress of 2024, and it turns out I need a yoga class or two and a little bit of sleep to stay functional. Also, good friends. The best ones make it all a little easier. On two separate occasions this year my friend Ali—who lives down the street, actual amazing life hack—and I have texted each other "Want to go to the movies?" and an hour later we're there, numbing out from the news in deep leather seats and digital celluloid.
The news [important caveat, this is not a tech newsletter]: Since returning to work I've written about the embrace of Christianity among venture capitalists, Canadian technologists reconsidering their place in the US, tariffs, immigration policies, weird hype-y AI collaborations, the breakup of a certain president and his billionaire buddy-in-chief, antisemitic chatbots, and scams, deepfakes, and the age of paranoia. The weekly podcast is still kicking, and growing. I've also traveled over the past few months to Portland, Oregon; Vancouver, BC; Austin, Texas; and Aspen, Colorado, the latter for the annual Aspen Ideas Festival, which was legitimately fascinating (this will find its way into an essay someday!)
That's it for now. I hope you're all hanging in there, and managing the impossible balance of staying vigilant and staying sane. A few asks for you; if you have the time text or email me your responses:
- What are your actual hacks for reallocating your time in order to focus on a big project or life change? Also: What are you doing to take breaks from the news? The weirder the better.
- In the two previous editions of this newsletter I included links for stories and books and newsletters I've been into. Useful/annoying? Would you want to receive more roundups of links?
- If you happen to be aware of any grants for writing projects/the arts, send them my way. And thanks. x
