Updates
Wednesday July 20, 2022
Brooklyn, NY
It's almost a month since my last post. I went to France. A new month started. I wanted to write an update on what I've been up to and working on.
It's a hot day here in New York City. Temperatures are in the mid 90s this week. I haven't ventured out much after my run this morning. This morning during work, I listened to a podcast with Malcolm Gladwell.
A few things I will definitely be checking out:
Legacy of Speed, Gladwell's latest podcast tells the story behind Tommie Smith and John Carlos's Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics, captured by photographer John Dominis.
The audiobook of Gladwell's Bomber Mafia contains music, sound effects, and other clips. I'm interested in checking this out new and inventive form of audiobook.
Gladwell also had some tips on a conducting interviews, gleaned from his 20 years as a journalist:
Be humble when interviewing an expert - they know more than you do.
Prepare so you know which questions to ask.
There are no stupid questions.
Just have a conversation. Don't stick to your script too much.
After today's morning routine, I worked for about 20-30 minutes on a piece I'm writing about my recent trip to France. I started it last week on the typewriter. I set time aside to write before or after work, and on lunch breaks. I'm just trying to get it all down first, then I will edit and shape it later.
When I started writing the piece last week, it was easy to jump back into the 'trip mindset'. I missed France and wanted to go back, so reminiscing was easy. As time passes, it gets a bit harder to get into that same mindset for just 10 or 15 minutes. Over the weekend I had a few hours of uninterrupted time and got a nice chunk of work done. I suppose, though, the practice of getting into this 'trip mindset' isn't much different from a fictional novelist's mindset – every time you sit down to write, you put yourself in that fictional world.
Other projects I am currently work on: I'd like to create a fictional series on my Substack. I think this would be a fun project to experiment with and would keep me motivated to share original, creative content on a regular basis. I haven't decided yet whether to adapt some material I already have, or imagine a new short story idea.
I'm also compiling ideas for more blog posts I can share here and on my Substack, aside from my Friday newsletter. Perhaps some short posts with notes on books, music, and movies, to longer posts on a wide range of topics.
Since I've returned home, I've had a bunch of ideas on my mind and I'm excited to get to work on them. Writing has taught me patience. For example, for the piece I'm writing on my trip to France, I wish I could just be done with it in one go! But it's turning out to be longer than expected and I have to remind myself that this is O.K. - just keeping writing every day, get it all down and soon you will have completed it.
Last week on my Substack I wrote about recent books and movies I've read. Here's a list of all the book I've read so far this year:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith
The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien
The Revenant – Michael Punke
The White Album – Joan Didion
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – Jules Verne
The Twilight World – Werner Herzog
The Cold War Swap – Ross Thomas
Less Than Zero – Bret Easton Ellis
Currently reading: The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Victor Hugo
Until next time,
KW
