Yesterday I spent the evening with the Green Papaya sangha at the Yoga Tree in Chiang Mai. Around forty people where there, many regulars, some visitors like me. The sangha – a Buddhist term for a spiritual practice group – are in the Plum Village meditation tradition. A little different from vipassana meditation, which trainsContinue reading “I have arrived. I am home. In the here. In the now.”
Author Archives: Damien Walter
The Indie Sci-Fi Revolution
In late 2012 Hugh Howey was an unknown writer of science fiction, even to most dedicated science fiction readers. And yet he had sold over 250,000 books, optioned film rights to the legendary Ridley Scott, and agreed a six figure book deal with major publisher Simon & Schuster. All this before his dystopian sci-fi novelContinue reading “The Indie Sci-Fi Revolution”
Kitchener’s coin will fuel the fantasies of UKIP
Liberal Britain’s complacent attitude to its own colonial history is a gift to the nation’s resurgent far right. First published at New Left Project. Symbolic issues are fiercely fought over by politicians because they matter. And you can bet your bottom dollar that the decision by the Royal Mint to place Lord Kitchener’s head on theContinue reading “Kitchener’s coin will fuel the fantasies of UKIP”
The sci-fi you will be reading in 2014
Science fiction has arguably been the mainstream of pop-culture since the internet displaced TV at the centre of our lives. The younger, geekier internet audience is living in a weird, complicated world, and sci-fi provides the metaphors that let us talk about it en masse. Young audiences aren’t stupid, and The Hunger Games: Catching FireContinue reading “The sci-fi you will be reading in 2014”
Stop wasting your time on trivia
A thought for the new year of 2014. There is a lot of noise in modern life. Finding your meaning is sometimes a matter of filtering everything out except the signal you need. Set aside anything you do that is on this list. Competing for status baubles. Trying to look like someone on TV. ComparingContinue reading “Stop wasting your time on trivia”
The Tao Te Ching: ancient wisdom for modern times
Two thousand four hundred years after it was composed, we need the Tao Te Ching‘s lessons in self-awareness more than ever. Little can be said with absolute certainty about the origins of the Tao Te Ching. Consensus suggests it was written around 400BC by one Laozi. Laozi translates simply as “old master” – a hint thatContinue reading “The Tao Te Ching: ancient wisdom for modern times”
Henry Miller on Art
“Art is only a means to life, to the life more abundant.” Henry Miller Discuss
Give Up The Day Job & Don’t Have A Backup Plan
The first mistake we all make is telling people – friends, family, lovers – that we want to be writers. We all do it. And we all get the same advice… …don’t give up the day job. …have a backup plan. And because those people love us, we listen to the advice. That’s our secondContinue reading “Give Up The Day Job & Don’t Have A Backup Plan”
Do writers write?
Because sometimes conversations about writing devolve in to carping about who is or is not a writer, some people find it necessary to draw a definitional line in the sand. The most common, and common sense, is that “writers write”. So if you want to be a writer, you write. If you want to know ifContinue reading “Do writers write?”
Jonathan Franzen is an easily understood genius
At some point Jonathan Franzen decided to write easily understood works of literary genius. It was likely while writing his 1994 essay Perchance to Dream which tries to find some purpose for the novel in the technological consumer culture of the late 20th / early 21st century (alternate title “Why Bother?”) It’s a decision that hasContinue reading “Jonathan Franzen is an easily understood genius”
The Death of Advertising
Autoplay video ads are popping up all over the internet. Facebook will be putting them in your feed soon (yet another reason to vacate Facebook for any serious purpose) But don’t take this as a sign of behemoth advertising dominating the internet. It’s the last gasp of a dying industry. The real money in advertisingContinue reading “The Death of Advertising”
The answers to 4 questions
Today I reached 4444 followers on Twitter. I wish I could claim to have barely noticed noticed, but I do have a sneaky peak at my follower count at least a few times a week. I *almost* reached this milestone around a month ago, hitting 4443, close, but no cigar. To celebrate I promised toContinue reading “The answers to 4 questions”
Damien Walter 